Tangled
by SereneMelodies
Summary: Sanji always manages to appear strong, but he can't help but to think that he's constantly falling behind. So when Sanji and Zoro get separated from the rest of the crew, he thinks he's finally found the chance to prove himself, only to realize his actions have some unexpected consequences. Contains romance, humor, hurt/comfort, angst. M for later chapters. HIATUS.
1. The Fate of a Cook

**Tangled**

**Summary:** Sanji always manages to appear strong and carefree, but he can't help but to think that he's constantly falling behind. He's feeling detached from his nakama and starts to doubt his place in the crew. When he and Zoro get separated from the rest of the Straw Hats, Sanji thinks he has finally found the chance to prove himself, only to realize that his actions have some unexpected consequences. Can he sort out his feelings and fix the situation he's landed himself in?

**Genre:** Romance, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Angst (just a tiny bit)

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)

**Disclaimer: One Piece is Oda-sensei's.**

* * *

_Chapter 1: The Fate of a Cook_

* * *

All was as quiet as could be on the Thousand Sunny. The nearly full moon shone brightly, casting a faint light against the pitch black sea. Other than the odd snore from the crewmembers – most notably Luffy, or was that Zoro? – and the sounds of the waves sloshing gently against the ship, it was a relatively silent night.

Only one person was up at such an ungodly hour as the rest of crew tried to save their strength for the next day by catching up on sleep. They were nearing the next island and had to be ready to face potential dangers when they arrived. Even Robin, who usually stayed up to read, had decided to rest instead.

Sanji had finally finished cleaning the kitchen to perfection, having put away every dish, polished every visible surface, and double checked that everything was in order. Not a speck of dirt or dust remained. He hoped it would stay this way for a while, since they weren't having breakfast on the ship.

With a click of a lighter, the blond cook lit a new cigarette and glanced over at the window, noting the dark blue color of the sky. It had to be somewhere around three in the morning.

Dammit, he was hungry. And that meant he'd probably have to cook something for himself.

And that just meant more mess. More cleaning.

Dammit.

Well, it's not like he _really_ minded. It was just that he wanted to sleep.

Sanji sauntered over to the refrigerator and opened it, not able to do much but blink at the barrenness and laugh softly to himself. He should have gotten used to it by now, the fact that nothing edible was going to last in this ship very long. Still, it took him off guard every time, seeing the nearly empty shelves. After all, Luffy's appetite contradicted every principle he believed in. Not wasting food. Appreciating food. Tasting food. The idiot just _inhaled_ everything, more than was ever necessary. And it didn't help that Chopper and Usopp were becoming the same way.

So why was there a smile on his face? He shrugged. He supposed it was because they were friends.

He sighed, pulling out a box of tagliatelle pasta noodles from one of the cabinets. He guessed that he had to be glad that even Luffy wouldn't touch unprepared food.

Several minutes later, he had managed to gather some garlic, onions, sage, parsley, cheese, and chestnuts. He supposed he could make some sort of pasta dish using the last remaining ingredients.

Why did he even bother trying to make dishes ahead of time? He knew that Luffy would somehow find a way to scarf it down. Maybe it was because he wanted to eat on time with everyone else; the premade food was for himself after all. When he made the crew breakfast, he tried saving some food for his own lunch, only to have Luffy or Usopp (let's face it, it was usually Luffy) eat it by noon. And, of course, the same thing happened during lunch and dinner until his meal was pushed as late as it could get.

Hence the reason why he had to eat at 3 AM. By himself.

But it wasn't as though he was complaining. He didn't really mind that he usually ate alone in the early hours of the morning when their stupid captain was fast asleep. Besides, as a cook, he had taken it as a challenge to make sure the whole crew, including Luffy, was thoroughly satisfied after every meal.

Though if he were to be honest, it would be nice to be able to eat with the crew instead of just watching them.

_What the hell am I thinking?_

"Boil. Chop. Stir. Chop. Stir. Mix," he muttered under his breath, repeating the phrase over and over again to try to clear his uncomfortable thoughts.

He was _not_ lonely.

"Really, I'm not. Not lonely."

He could hear a defensive, weak voice and he smirked.

Wait, was that _him?_

He frowned.

_I'm just tired, that's all. Feeling shitty. _

He pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply to calm himself. Eventually, he pulled out a pot, filled it with some water, and turned on the fire. Folding up his sleeves, he picked up a knife and began chopping everything but the cheese, which he grated. Noticing that the water was boiling, he slid the pasta noodles in.

A yawn escaped his mouth as he fought the urge to rub his eyes. _Yeah…just tired._

He yanked out a frying pan and began to prepare the ingredients. Almost automatically, he started with the onions, slowly adding the garlic and sage, and finally tossing in the chestnuts. Then, he checked to see if the noodles were cooked, which they were, and drained them. He added the cheese at the end.

"Ah, just if we had some butter…" Sanji muttered, checking the refrigerator one last time. To his surprise, there was a single tablespoon's amount left. With a grin, he added the last ingredient and mixed the noodles with the ingredients.

With care, he poured a portion of the pasta onto a plate and grabbed a fork. He set it down on the table along with a glass of water.

"Tagliatelle with chestnuts and sage," he said lamely, naming his newest creation. He sprinkled some salt and pepper on to the pasta from the nearly empty containers on the table.

He slowly took a bite. It was difficult not to scarf it down as his stomach demanded. It was a simple dish but very good, if he had to say so himself. Well, then again, hunger was the best sauce.

"It would be better with some sort of smoky meat…pancetta, maybe," he stated to no one in particular, getting up and pulling out a black notebook from a watertight compartment.

This was the recipe book he had been working on. Whenever he was even remotely inspired, he would jot things down.

Taking a larger bite, he retraced his steps to write down what he did and what he used.

_For days when you want to make a simple side dish: Tagliatelle with Chestnuts, Pancetta, and Sage_, he wrote. _First, prepare the noodles separately..._

When he was finished, he returned it to its rightful place and sat back down, continuing to eat at the slow pace he tried to maintain.

He had to be used to this by now. In the end, the cook's responsibility was to feed the crew, no matter how ill-mannered and careless some of them were, at any and at all times. If there was no time for him to eat with them, so be it.

In any case, it was at this time of day that he could experiment with his cooking, since he didn't like using his crewmembers as guinea pigs.

Perhaps it was the cook's fate to feel lonely.

Sanji snorted and tried not to think about it. If anything, it was he who had chosen his priorities this way.

"Oi, shit cook."

The deep, gravelly sound successfully snapped Sanji out of his thoughts. As if by habit, the blond clucked with his tongue with something like disapproval. Shooting a glare in the direction of the door, he snapped, "What?"

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Sanji scoffed. He tried not to feel relief at the sight of the shitty swordsman and instead chose to hold up his fork in explanation.

"Eating. You lonely?" Zoro teased, casually leaning against the doorway.

Sanji swallowed. _No. I'm not. Really. _"What do you want."

His curly eyebrow twitched at the sight of Zoro. That stance wasn't casual at all, and Sanji could feel the tension exuding from the green-haired man.

As he had suspected, Zoro hadn't fully healed. If there was one thing Zoro couldn't do, it would be to rest when his body demanded it. Sanji rolled his eyes, though it wasn't because he was unconcerned.

"Woke up to piss and couldn't go back to sleep." Zoro shrugged, walking over to the table and taking a seat. Sanji bristled at the sound of the chair scraping against the floor he had taken so much care to mop but decided not to say anything. He also didn't mention the fact that the man was limping more than walking. Zoro didn't exactly appreciate pity. Not that Sanji pitied him.

It was more regret than anything else.

Zoro rubbed his eyes and let out an enormous yawn. He nodded towards the plate of pasta and asked, "Is that your breakfast?"

"Why, are you hungry?" Sanji responded, answering his questions with questions in hopes of avoiding them. No one had to know about Sanji's eating habits. They hadn't noticed and he preferred it that way. "What's with this interrogation anyway…"

It always seemed like the moss head said things that made Sanji uncomfortable without meaning to. He was too perceptive, despite his apparent idiocy.

Without responding, Zoro simply took the fork from Sanji's fingers, pulled the plate closer to him, and twirled up a sizable amount of the pasta.

"Oi!" Sanji protested, feeling strangely embarrassed. He would never give such leftover-like food to any member of the crew, even if it was his ultimate archrival who never really appreciated any of his cooking.

Smirking, Zoro popped the forkful into his mouth. The cook stared at him, unable to draw his eyes away. _Shit. Why do I care about what he thinks?_

Zoro chewed slowly, staring straight at him. Sanji felt his mouth go dry.

"It's edible," Zoro said finally, and the blond's gray-blue eyes narrowed.

"No one told you to eat it," Sanji muttered, snatching back the fork. Damn, he always ended up acting so immaturely when it came to this shitty swordsman. It wasn't like he was offended. Right.

He tried to ignore the fact that Zoro's lips touched the fork and ate another mouthful of the quickly cooling pasta.

"Cook."

Sanji swallowed and drank a sip of water.

"What," he responded flatly.

"Sake."

"At 3 in the morning?"

"How else am I supposed to keep myself awake?"

"Why should you stay awake? Go back to sleep."

Another bite. Another sip.

"It was my turn to look out and I slept instead," Zoro answered simply.

"It's fine. Just go to sleep," Sanji muttered. The marimo still needed his rest. "I'm already up, and I've been up, so I'll keep a look out."

"You'll need your strength too," Zoro said quietly, getting up and pulling out a bottle of sake himself from one of the cabinets.

"Shit, I could have just-" Sanji cut himself off. The swordsman wasn't an invalid, even if he wasn't fully healed. It was difficult not to ask if he was okay, difficult not to do things for him. Difficult to pretend like he wasn't concerned.

But some boundaries were never crossed.

Sanji's fingers clenched involuntarily around the fork as he controlled his feelings.

"I'll be up in the crow's nest." With that, Zoro left the kitchen as suddenly as he had shown up.

"Idiot," Sanji mumbled. Damn it, he had lost his appetite. He yanked out a cigarette with slightly trembling fingers, just barely able to light it. He sucked on it as if his life depended on it, trying to calm himself down. Lacing his fingers together with both elbows on top of the table, he rested his chin against his hands.

He didn't know how to talk to the damned marimo anymore.

It was true they were rivals who treated each other rather harshly, constantly bickering and arguing. But ever since the incident at Thriller Bark, Sanji had become confused and irritated. For one thing, he didn't even understand why he had felt the need to protect Zoro and his goal. He usually respected the swordsman's decisions and often took actions that separated himself from the rest of the crew in order to strategize. They let each other fight their own battles alone, not because they didn't care but because that was how they showed trust.

_Why_ had he stepped in? And why the _hell_ had Zoro stopped him?

That proud, self-confident swordsman had bent his head, kneeling on his knees, to save the crew. Everyone had been able to heal quickly, except for the one who had been willing to absorb all of Luffy's massive pain.

It should have been him, not Zoro. The moss head was Luffy's first mate. What could they possibly do without each other? Their dreams and their ambitions and intertwined and neither could exist without the other.

Zoro had risked everything, more than Sanji ever had. He hadn't accepted Sanji's offer...as if Sanji's life, everyone else's life, was more important to him than his own. And this pissed Sanji off more than anything.

Just looking at Zoro struggle to keep a calm and unaffected composure now, days after the incident, made Sanji want to kick something.

Why was he so weak? Why had he been unable to do anything? Zoro had been the last one to stay conscious, the last one with even a remnant of strength left to fight, while Sanji had barely managed to keep himself standing until Zoro knocked him down.

It seemed to come so easily to Zoro and Luffy, those fighting geniuses. They always took it upon themselves to face the strongest enemies so they could protect the crewmembers.

And Sanji could only watch as he tried his best to support them from the background.

True, he was the cook. Instead of spending time training like the shitty marimo, he cooked and cleaned. Made sure everyone was fed. In a way, he was like Nami-san, who kept everyone alive not by sheer strength but by her navigation skills. But that was little excuse. After all, Luffy rarely ever trained, yet he kept improving his attacks on the spot. The crew might call the three of them "Monster Trio" but he definitely didn't deserve to be a part of it.

He wondered if being alone and isolating himself in order to support their two strongest nakama was truly his fate as a cook.

Everyone had a place, a position of some kind, within the crew. Without a doubt, Sanji was the cook, but he wasn't truly close with any of them. Not like Zoro and Luffy. He admired and respected the women and the same applied to the shipwright. Brook had awful manners (though he liked him well enough) and Usopp liked hanging out with Luffy and Chopper more.

Sure, they all needed him to survive. But did they need him as a nakama?

_Nakama…_

[~ * ~]

"Sanji! I want food!"

"Are you an idiot? We all decided we're having breakfast on the island yesterday. Just wait a little! Why can't you remember anything we ever talk about?"

"Navigator-san, sorry to interrupt, but it seems like the wind has changed direction."

"Oh, Robin, good morning! Thanks for the warning. Everyone-"

"YOHOHOHO! I will play my violin now-"

"Oi, help out a little, will you?"

"Ugh, you guys are so loud first thing in the morning-"

"What time is it, everyone?"

The voices all blurred in Sanji's mind into one chaotic sound as he groggily rubbed his eyes open. Where was he? When he straightened up, he heard his back crack and he groaned. At this rate, his posture would be forever ruined.

He yawned, then blinked at his surroundings. The sunlight streamed through the window and his kitchen was still perfectly pristine. Getting up, he stretched his limbs and pulled out a cigarette, shoving his hand deep into his pocket.

"Fell asleep in the kitchen again, huh," Sanji muttered, taking a puff. Then he realized that both his plate of pasta and fork were gone.

"Probably Luffy," Sanji mumbled to himself as he ambled over to the sink where his pile of dishes remained…

Scratch that. Where his pile of dishes _should have_ remained.

What he saw didn't register in his brain very quickly. All of the pans and pots, the knives, the cheese grater, everything he had used was cleaned and drying on a rack, evidence of the pasta completely gone.

"What the hell…"

This couldn't have possibly been him. The last thing he remembered was talking briefly to the moss head. His head began to throb and he poured himself a glass of water more out of habit than anything else.

He chuckled humorlessly, not even touching the water. It was like having a hangover. Sanji could _feel_ the bags under his eyes, which he assumed was bloodshot. Usually, staying up didn't cause so many problems, but he figured that his body hadn't really liked the lack of rest after Thriller Bark.

"Shit…I feel like shit…" Sanji couldn't even say that he enjoyed his "nap"…

_The 8 other Straw Hats were already on board, and Sanji was horrified to find that the ship had set sail without him. His ankles were chained down to prevent him from swimming, and no matter what he tried, the chains wouldn't snap. He rubbed his foot raw against the metal, anxiously trying to be free, but the cuff was wrapped as tightly as possible around his ankle. "Wait, what the fuck is going on?"_

"_Sorry Sanji. I'm finding another cook." Luffy's tone of voice was serious, cold, insincere._

_Sanji's eyes widened in dismay as he saw all of them with their arms crossed, unwelcoming. Were they…were they abandoning him?_

"_You just can't compare to someone like Luffy…or even me," Zoro mocked, slinging a casual arm around Luffy's shoulders. "What can you protect?"_

"_We don't need you as a nakama. You aren't even close to any of us," Nami said easily, turning around to go inside. "Besides, I hate guys like you. You can't relate to our experiences. Have you ever lost anyone close to you? No. How would you know how it feels?"_

"_It looks like you're on your own, Cook-san," Robin said unsympathetically. "Try not to feel too lonely. I'm sure you'll still have some friends at the Baratie."_

"_SUPER~ goodbye! I'll miss your food." Franky put his arms together, putting together the two pieces of the star._

"_Even I'm stronger than you," Usopp chuckled. "Sanji, Sanji, what are you doing? You have no place here in the crew."_

"_You don't even play with me very much," Chopper said sadly. "We all need a friendlier cook."_

"_Good luck finding All Blue on your own," Brook called out, whipping out his violin and playing a soulful melody. "Farewell, Sanji-san!"_

"_Wait! Fuck this!" Sanji shouted. "What the hell do you want from me?"_

"_You don't belong in this crew," Luffy said, shrugging. "We don't need you."_

_We don't need you…_

"Looks like you really did need the sleep, ero-cook. I came here to tell you that it's only 7 but everyone is itching to get off the ship."

Sanji gasped, horrified to remember his nightmare so clearly. _It's just Thriller Bark giving you some bad dreams. That's all it is. That would never happen to you._

After taking a long drag from his cigarette, Sanji finally registered Zoro's voice and he whirled around to find the moss head sitting down at the table, empty bottle of sake in hand. The blond scowled, perplexed by what was going on. His still semi-conscious, sleep-deprived brain refused to process his thoughts properly. It seemed like it was preoccupied with terrifying him.

"What did you do." Sanji found himself asking hoarsely, trying to forget the dream.

"I just cleaned up since you were sleeping," Zoro answered, shrugging, a queer expression on his face. "And don't worry, I didn't waste any food. Or break anything."

Without really hearing what he said, Sanji blurted, "You ate it all?"

"What else would I have done with it?" Zoro smirked. "It was okay, though I'm surprised you make those kind of simple dishes because..."

The blond's face contorted into a frown as he shivered, tuning out the rest of Zoro's words. Why was the dream so damned vivid? No matter what image he tried to conjure in his mind, all he could see were the faces of his disapproving crew.

Suddenly, he was seeing the nightmare-Zoro's face, filled with scorn and disgust, instead of the actual Zoro. Sanji stiffened, taking shaky breaths as he tried to clear his vision, calm his mind. He knew Zoro would never look at him like that...would he?

He was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice the grin disappearing from Zoro's face.

"Look, don't worry about what I said. You needed to sleep, so I figured I'd just do your chores while I was awake," Zoro muttered, getting up. "Franky's staying, so the rest of us are going. You can do what you want."

"Shitty marimo, you know I have to get ingredients." Sanji ruffled his hair in agitation, fingers trembling involuntarily. It kept bothering him, how Zoro seemed to constantly look after him when he could hardly ever return the favor. And that godawful nightmare…

Turning his head to face Zoro, Sanji said, "I'm going, I'm going."

But Zoro was already gone.

[~ * ~]

"Yoho! We're finally here!" Luffy shouted gleefully, flinging himself off the ship to land first. Their ship had docked and Franky was ready to check the ship for maintenance and repairs.

A small but bustling town was clearly visible, even from a distance, indicating that the island was not only inhabitable but well-populated. And that meant they could restock their diminishing supplies with little problem. And it was only several minutes past 7 but the people were already busy, moving up and about.

"This seems like a nice place," Luffy yelled with a grin stretching his face.

The crewmembers – minus Franky – took their time getting off the ship the way a normal person would, by walking.

"Oi, Luffy, we have to divide ourselves into teams," Usopp called after him. Luffy surprisingly stopped in his tracks and waited, looking at the crewmembers expectantly.

"Luffy, you're coming with me," Nami commanded, since it turned out that the only way Luffy would behave was if he was managed by Nami's fists from time to time. "We're getting clothes and some mapping material."

"Nami, that's boring," Luffy whined.

"I'll buy you a snack or something," Nami lied. Luffy jumped in the air, excited.

Sanji tried to act normal, forcing himself to smile and look at Nami with heart-shaped eyes. "Nami-swan~ You're so beautiful when you're ly-"

Ah, he had already anticipated the punch he would receive. This time, he welcomed the pain, which only momentarily distracted his thoughts.

"Shh!" Nami snapped. She was truly a wonderful lady, even if he exaggerated half the time, even when he felt like shit. But in reality, did she really hate him? She had to be joking like he did all the time.

"I'll go with Doctor-san," Robin piped in quickly and Chopper grinned.

"Usopp and Brook go together," Nami suggested. "Could you guys get some cola? Looks like we'll need quite a bit."

"Fine by me," Usopp said. Brook nodded.

"That leaves me…with the moss ball?" Sanji said indignantly, the facts finally dawning upon him. "Why, Nami-swan?"

After what happened this morning's awkward confrontation, the last thing he wanted to do was spend the entire day with the damned marimo.

"You're going to need help buying food," Nami said in a nonchalant manner, crossing her arms. "Look, I'll buy you the lock you wanted for the refrigerator. Not lying."

Sanji smiled halfheartedly. "You're wonderful, Nami-swan~"

He already knew what she meant. It wasn't so much that _he _needed _Zoro_ to carry things as it was the other way around. Nami basically wanted him to keep an eye out for their still-healing member.

"We'll meet up back here after dinner, alright?" Nami looked at all of their faces and each crewmember nodded. She handed each pair an envelope filled with a designated amount of money she deemed appropriate.

"Thank you, Nami-swan~!" Sanji grinned as he pocketed the money. With an entirely different attitude, he turned towards Zoro and muttered, "Let's go."

The two of them walked in an uncomfortable silence, separating themselves from the other pairs. After what seemed like an excruciating amount of time, they finally arrived at a market street.

"Get your fresh vegetables here! Fresh and top notch!"

"Freshly caught fish here! Buy your fish today!"

"Here's the best place for your fresh fruit!"

"Is 'fresh' the only adjective they know?" Sanji chuckled softly, bending to check the quality of the potatoes, only to have his back crack audibly. "Shit."

"Maybe I should have carried you over to your hammock."

Sanji swallowed, trying to hide his surprise at seeing Zoro right next to him. "Shitty marimo, I appreciate your concern, but what the hell are you trying to do?"

"Nothing," Zoro muttered, putting distance between them by walking a few steps away.

"Oi, don't move. You'll get lost." Sanji forced out a laugh. He struggled to act like he normally did. But that nightmare…It bothered him so much he couldn't think straight. Was he going crazy? What did the crew really think about him?

"Fuck."

"What did you say? And what the hell are you trying to say about me?" Zoro retorted.

"You're kidding me," Sanji said disbelievingly. "You stubborn moss head, how can you not know how bad your sense of direction is-"

"What?" Zoro said indignantly. Faster than Sanji could possibly register, the swordsman took his sheathed katana and launched an attack.

Something felt strange. As if Zoro wasn't really seriously arguing with him. As if Zoro was testing him.

Sanji blinked at the sudden move, instinctively putting out a foot and effectively blocking the sword's movements. "Oi, what the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing," Zoro replied, placing his katana back against his side.

"Let's just get the supplies," Sanji suggested wearily, not only physically tired but mentally worn out. He didn't know what Zoro was playing at, but he didn't have the patience to put up with the cryptic behavior of the idiot swordsman.

"Whatever you say."

[~ * ~]

**On a different ship, at the same island…**

"Reporting as requested."

"Speak."

"Target was identified. Name: Roronoa Zoro. Bounty: 120 million. Pirate. Straw Hat. It appears as though the Straw Hat crew has stopped for supplies, although the amount of time they have designated to stay here is unknown."

"The one with the green hair, 3 katanas, average build." This was not a question but a statement, one that needed to be confirmed.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good."

[~ * ~]

**Author's Note:** Hello, everybody :) This is my first ever fic about One Piece, so I hope you enjoyed its first chapter (the last little section was just a taste for the next chapter, really). I will warn you that this fanfic will be long and rather slow-paced, so lemons will show up much later :D I'm going to try and keep everyone as in character as possible. Thanks for reading~! I welcome all sorts of comments, reviews, criticisms, flames (though this one…not so much…)


	2. A Confrontation and a Trap

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites :D You have inspired and motivated me so much that I updated much faster than I anticipated~ *bows*

**Tangled**

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_Chapter 2: A Confrontation and a Trap_

* * *

"Look, dartboard brow, just hand me another fucking bag." Zoro's eyes narrowed into slits. "Because it looks like you can't handle it."

The blond cook's eyebrow twitched as he glared at the insolent swordsman. Ah, the things he wanted to say. Instead of replying, though, he held his tongue and shifted the weight of the bags around in hopes of making it more comfortable for himself. It failed. He tried not to grimace as the numerous straps dug into the skin of his hands.

Sanji hadn't found all of the ingredients he needed, but both his and Zoro's hands were already filled with massive bags of food. They had no choice but to return to the ship and go for a second round, despite the fact that it was getting fairly late. 3 o'clock and they hadn't eaten anything yet. It was a good thing for the food that it wasn't very hot or humid on this island.

"Like I trust you with any more food than you already have, marimo. What if you get lost with all the groceries? I'm _perfectly_ fine," Sanji retorted, embarrassed that he was slightly out of breath. He had taken the heaviest bags on purpose, after all. Zoro might be as stubborn as an ass and insist on carrying the food, but Sanji refused to let him overwork himself when he still wasn't fully healed.

He sighed. "It's the cook's job anyway. It's a shame I need help in the first place."

He expected Zoro to say something snarky like he always did. To Sanji's surprise, however, Zoro said nothing in response as they approached the ship slowly, trying to accommodate for Zoro's somewhat slower-than-usual speed. An uncomfortable tension settled between them again.

Why was Zoro so quiet today? It was true that he was usually a man of few words, but…

_Ah, dammit, I want to smoke._

His cigarette had died out some minutes ago, but his hands were too occupied to do anything but lug around the food.

They climbed their way back on to the ship and when Sanji laid eyes on Franky, he yelled out a quick hello.

It seemed like the crew's blue-haired shipwright was busy with repairs when he caught sight of the two men.

"OW~ How is it going?" Franky said loudly, as usual, standing up straight. He had several tools in each hand, and a faint sheen of sweat was visible across his forehead. "You're back early."

"We have to go again," Sanji replied, shrugging. "How about you?"

"Nothing much. I'm almost done," Franky said, wiping his sweat. "Oh, by the way, could you possibly make me something really simple before you go? I didn't get to eat anything and I haven't seen anyone else so far."

Sanji nodded. "We didn't eat either, but here you go for now. I'll get started on a late lunch."

Letting down the groceries momentarily, he fished around for a bottle of cola and tossed it at Franky. The cyborg caught it easily, popping it open and chugging it down. Sanji grinned despite himself and threw three more at him. Franky immediately replaced the nearly empty bottles in his system and went through the usual dance routine, eventually putting his hands and arms together to create a star.

"Kyaa…thanks, curly cook bro~ I really needed that. But wasn't it Usopp and Brook's job to get it? At least, that's what I thought I heard Nee-chan say."

Sanji tried not to be irritated at the nickname (himself and Nami-swan both) and answered, "I figured they're only getting the barrels for the ship, so I bought the bottles."

He didn't fully hear Franky's reply as he entered the kitchen and set down all the bags. He stared at the ingredients for a little, wondering what to make, when a certain minty green-haired swordsman shuffled in, leaning against the doorway. Sanji tried not to notice how Zoro seemed to breathe a little too heavily.

Wordlessly, the swordsman approached the counter, set down the bags haphazardly and left, not even looking at him once.

"Damned marimo, what the hell is your problem?" Sanji mumbled, trying to fight his agitation. Why was he so worried anyway? Zoro was obviously just fine, getting better every day...

He took out the groceries and began organizing the refrigerator, like he had OCD, by required temperature, shelf life, and food groups.

If he wasn't acting the way he usually did, it didn't seem like Zoro was either. Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that it would help him stay sane if Zoro just pretended he didn't notice anything. But it was clear that Zoro was more sensitive to Sanji's situation than he let on.

He snorted derisively. Like Zoro would care that much...

Sanji was about to close the refrigerator, having arranged the groceries to perfection, when he suddenly stiffened, words suddenly beginning to ring inside his head.

"_You just can't compare __to someone like Luffy…What can you protect?__"_

"_You can't relate to our experiences. Have you ever lost anyone close to you? No. How would you know how it feels?"_

"_You don't belong in this crew. We don't need you."_

_You should have been the one to sacrifice yourself…then they would finally care about you…once you were dead and gone…At least you would have been some use to them...prove yourself a nakama..._

A sudden, shooting pain in his hand snapped him out of his trance-like state and he let out a shout before he could stop himself.

"Shit! Pay attention to what you're doing, you idiot," Sanji muttered to himself. In his frustration, he had slammed the refrigerator door – stainless steel and all – on his hand so hard that the heavy door had bounced off three times. Maybe he had sprained a few fingers. He shivered, cold sweat dampening his brow, the pain not really registering despite his reflexive shouting.

He was going fucking crazy. He had never been like this before. While he hadn't been a particularly happy-go-lucky kind of person to begin with, nightmares and shit had never bothered him so much.

All because of the incident at Thriller Bark…

_I should go talk to Chopper. Antidepressants, narcotics, something._

Brushing his rather morbid thoughts aside, he clutched at his hand to check for broken fingers when-

"What's wrong?" Zoro seemed to have materialized out of thin air as he appeared right by his side. Sanji, startled, tripped over his own feet and slammed his hands down against the sink for balance, only to feel that excruciating pain again. His teeth clamped down on his lip so hard he could taste blood. At least this time, he didn't let out that humiliating scream. Zoro leaned in closer and Sanji instinctively took a step back, feeling cornered.

"Ha…sorry, marimo. It's n-nothing. Did I make you worry?" Sanji said sheepishly, hiding the pain as best as he could, lowering his sleeve and covering his hand. His chin rose mockingly as he tried to look down at Zoro like always. "As you can see, I'm totally and utterly fine. You can go back to whatever moss balls do. It was just…ah…nothing. I'm fine and I'll get started on lunch right away. Are you that hungry? I thought you'd be busy drinking or lifting weights or something. Why are you here? Nothing's wrong. See? I'm totally fine..."

Fuck, he was babbling. Sanji immediately forced himself to stop talking, teeth clamping down so hard that the _clack! _was audible.

"Oi…" Zoro's voice was surprisingly laced with concern. His eyes roamed over Sanji as if he was trying to see what part of him was broken. "What the hell-"

"Was there a spider?" Franky called from outside the kitchen, interrupting Zoro unknowingly.

Just the word made the hair on the back of the cook's neck rise. _You are NOT afraid of a damned spider! _He laughed shakily and replied as calmly as he could. "Ah…haha, yeah, that's all it was. Sorry to bother you. I…uh…I smashed it with…uh…my hand. And it was…disgusting."

"It's no problem." Franky's voice boomed, carrying from the outside. "So long as you're okay, bro."

Sanji felt his face growing hot as he heard Franky's subsequent laughter. "Shut up, Franky!"

"You're very cute, curly cook," Franky shouted back, guffawing. "Like a little girl-"

"SHUT UP!" Sanji yelled, fuming. He began massaging his temples with his right-hand fingers. Stupid cyborg.

"Are you really okay?"

He turned to face Zoro, who was only a few inches away from him. The marimo's brows were knit together into a frown and Sanji felt his anger somehow dissipate. He mumbled, "Kind of you to be concerned, moss head. It's really nothing. I was just being stupid. I'll have lunch ready in a few minutes."

"I don't care about the damned lunch-"

"Look, I'm fine, alright?" Sanji snapped, feeling his face turn red. "It's just a sp-spider. Just...leave."

It was humiliating how much he hated any sort of bug or insect. He didn't want to use it as the excuse, but what choice did he have? His fists clenched reflexively, only for him to twitch in pain as he kept forgetting the condition that his left hand was in.

"I'll get going then," Zoro finally said in a quiet voice. He walked towards the door when he stilled. "You know…it's not embarrassing to have a fear…"

The blond's eyes widened as he heard the last word.

_Sanji._

"What?" Sanji asked, stunned. But once again, Zoro was nowhere in sight. Damn him for disappearing every time.

Had that idiot marimo really called him by his name? It couldn't possibly be. That could _never_ happen…right? He must be hearing things. Besides, Zoro could only say that because he didn't fear anything. And for that matter, neither did Luffy. Which meant, once again, he was the odd one out.

Dammit, he felt ridiculous.

"Nothing is scary about a s-spider," Sanji said under his breath, hating that he still stuttered over the word. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand, lunch. Ignoring his now throbbing and pulsing left hand, he took inventory mentally, trying not to get distracted anymore.

Bell peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, zucchinis, onions, carrots, eggs, etc…he supposed he could make omorice*. Simple. Fast.

Having made up his mind, he rolled up his right sleeve only to find out that he was clumsy due to his rapidly swelling fingers.

"Look at you, ruining your hands just because you can't sort out your thoughts," Sanji muttered to himself. "You're a cook. Hands are damned precious…"

Quickly chopping up the vegetables, he fried them, mixed in some separately cooked rice, sprinkled pepper and soy sauce, and poured out the rice into 3 plates within 30 minutes, managing to distract himself enough from wallowing in self-pity. He slid a cooked egg on top of each serving and stuck a spoon in every plate. Not so bad for someone who only used one hand.

Balancing two plates on the crook of his left arm and holding one in his right hand, he pushed the door open with his rear end and called out, "Lunch's ready!"

"SUPER!" Franky responded immediately, taking a swig of cola. "Thanks."

Sanji looked around, surprised that he wasn't able to see the familiar green head. He offered Franky a plate from his arm, trying to avoid using his left hand while simultaneously trying to hide it with his rolled down sleeve. Casually, he asked, "Where's the marimo?"

"Weights." Franky barely managed to get out as he scarfed down the food. He noticed nothing. "Delicious. Thanks."

The blond nodded absentmindedly and went up to the meditation room where Zoro had set up his personal training room. Seeing that the door was closed, Sanji knocked once with his shoe, only to have the marimo open the door for him right away.

"Nice of you to become disgusting when we have to go back to the town," Sanji said, voice filled with scorn. _That sounds more normal. Just…bicker. That's how it is. _"Do you _want_ to smell like shit?"

At the lack of response, Sanji blinked. Maybe his attempt to forget that the whole shouting incident happened was a failure. Strangely, it didn't seem like Zoro had trained at all for the last half hour. There was none of the usual sweat or the panting that accompanied his extreme workouts.

Just then, Zoro's eyes met his with a gaze so intense that Sanji was forced to look away. He could still feel the black stare burning holes through his forehead as he quickly pretended to be very interested in his shoes. _What the hell?_

"Lunch," Sanji mumbled, thrusting the plate out, still not able to lift his gaze. "After we eat, we're going right away, you know. Didn't buy any seafood and all…"

Zoro was silent. The tension was almost tangible in the awkward atmosphere.

"Oi, do you plan on acting really acting like a moss ball?" Sanji said impatiently, finally looking up in irritation. "Just eat. Don't worry about-"

"I wonder if you're okay."

"What do you mean?" Sanji asked nonchalantly, the sudden statement catching him off guard. "I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Why are you lying to me?"

Zoro's voice was so surprisingly gentle that Sanji nearly dropped the plate. He began to protest but gave up after seeing the serious expression on the swordsman's face. Did something happen to the moss head's brain at Thriller Bark?

Throughout the day as they shopped, Zoro had been acting almost…kind. Which was bizarre, considering how they were the biggest rivals in the history of all rivalries.

Sanji exhaled loudly, fighting the urge to pull out a cigarette. Table manners and all that. He began fidgeting with his spoon instead. "Well, it's pretty humiliating. Why do you even want to know, shitty marimo? I…I slammed the refrigerator door on my hand. It's not serious, so just forget about it-"

Zoro interrupted him again by taking both the plates and sitting down cross-legged on the floor. "Sit."

"Don't order me around," Sanji mumbled before taking a seat, feelings his face turn red. Why did the idiot have to be so damned perceptive? "What do you want?"

"To eat with you," Zoro said simply, handing back a plate. Sanji took it, a blank expression on his face.

_What the hell…what the hell? One moment he's forcing me to tell him everything and the next second he acts like nothing happened!_

Sanji's eyes widened as Zoro's words finally sank in. _He…he wants to eat with me?_

Perplexed, a bit irritated, and strangely happy, Sanji rested the plate on his knee, taking care to hide his left hand, as he picked up a spoonful of his lunch and took a bite tentatively. He watched Zoro eat and nearly choked when Zoro's eyes met his again.

_I'm really not…eating by myself this time…_

"You looked…upset this morning. I thought maybe I had pushed it too far," Zoro murmured, scooping up some of the rice. "I guess I should have…"

Sanji blinked in confusion, not quite comprehending where Zoro was going with this. "Wait, what?"

"Just…" Zoro grunted, choosing to eat instead. Another silence filled the room, and Sanji forced himself to remain calm, tamping down his exasperation. He saw the swordsman swallow and waited.

"Never mind."

"Argh, you stupid hunk of muscle," Sanji groaned in frustration. "Way to leave me hanging. Not that I really want to know that much about what you have to say anyway."

"I thought you were mad at me," Zoro said simply. "Not just the arguing kind of mad. I mean, really mad. And all day, you've been acting strange."

"Didn't know you cared," Sanji immediately retorted, voice hollow. He laughed humorlessly. _Dammit, I shouldn't have said that, not in that way…_

Zoro continued to eat as if Sanji hadn't spoken at all, looking calm and unaffected. "How's your hand?"

Sanji shrugged and took a few more bites himself. Only the clinking sound of a utensil hitting a plate could be heard as they focused on their own respective meals.

"Thanks for the food," Zoro murmured as he set the empty plate down. Sanji's jaw dropped as he realized that that not only had Zoro eaten the food without a single sarcastic remark, he was actually behaving politely. _What do I say to that? He must be asking for truce._

"Now let me see your hand." Zoro had set the plate down on the floor to lean towards him, trying to reach for his hand.

"Dumbass, I told you I was fine," Sanji scolded, swatting Zoro away with his right hand. "Does nothing go through your green, mossy brain?"

"What did you say, ero-cook?"

"You know I'm right." Sanji smirked.

"You wanna go?" Zoro asked in a menacing tone that did nothing to scare the cook in the slightest.

"After I eat," Sanji chuckled, taking another bite. "Food takes priority, as you well know."

"Excuses, excuses," Zoro muttered. "Prince of Dumbass Kingdom."

Sanji's eyebrow twitched. "You worthless lump of a human being…"

"Bring it on."

_I'm glad things feel normal again. Thanks, stupid marimo._

"You asked for it." Sanji immediately sent a kick flying into Zoro's side, only to realize that Zoro had blocked it easily with his katana.

"Is that all you've got?" Zoro grinned, unsheathing his katana and slashing at him. "Weakling."

Sanji froze as his insult triggered the voices which started ringing in his head again. Unable to block the attack, the dull side of the blade dug into Sanji's left leg, and he grunted._  
_

"Oi..."

"Ha...you happy that I let you have one on me?" Sanji grinned, not minding the pain. "Is that all _you've_ got?"

[~ * ~]

**Less than a mile away…**

"I'm not very happy. Why is that?"

A woman draped herself across her luxurious chaise. With waist-length, violet, wavy hair and a body to rival Boa Hancock, the woman carried herself proudly and authoritatively. Her likewise purple eyes were framed by long eyelashes that flickered as she blinked slowly. She wore no outer garments and looked perfectly at ease.

The dimly lit room only served to accentuate the stunning curves and features of the woman as she tried to relax.

"But, of course, I know the answer. My collection is incomplete. And therefore, I am not happy," the woman said, her melodious voice almost robotic.

"Trafalgar Law. Eustass Kidd. X Drake. Killer. Basil Hawkins...to mention a very few. Are you tired of them all already?" The androgynous voice belonged to a hooded figure that spoke quietly and remained motionless on a hard wooden chair across the beauty. None of the person's features were visible and a menacing aura seemed to permeate through the air from the individual. The stark contrast between the two people only served to emphasize the incredible beauty of the purple-haired woman and the strangeness of the other.

"Well, I'll admit they were all very fun…but Law is boring and Lucci's too quiet. Kidd was the undoubtedly the most fun but he's useless without metal surroundings, poor boy. In general, though, I want one without a Devil's Fruit ability." Her voice was clear and soft compared to her cold, emotionless eyes. "After all, you destroy them too easily. Devil's Fruit users are easily broken. They have no fight left in them if they can't use their abilities. And that is very, very _dull._"

"Only at your command, Hideko. I can't help it if I can't control myself all that well."

The tinkling laughter echoed throughout the room. "I need to put their collars on. You know that as well as I do. How could I possibly do that when they just won't listen to me?"

"What did you do this time?"

"Nothing much." The woman named Hideko giggled. "I want this to be perfect, you see."

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. A man peeped his head in and mumbled, "Excuse me."

"I'm assuming it's very important," Hideko snapped, teeth bared in a snarl, eyes flashing with irritation. Her face contorted so suddenly into an expression of hatred that the man rammed his head back into the wall in surprise.

"Ma'am, Roronoa Zoro has been sighted again. He's with none of the other Straw Hats and is accompanied by a single man. Their meeting time is after dinner, with no specific hour mentioned-"

"When does the sun set tonight?" Hideko interrupted softly. "An estimate?"

"Today was a relatively clear day, so anywhere between 7 and 8-"

"That's not good..." she said, cutting the man off again. "And right now is...?"

"Half past 5, ma'am."

"Well, let's go then. Corner the two of them into the forest. And the other Straw Hats...bring them back to their ship."

[~ * ~]

**At one end of town...**

"NAMI!"

Luffy stretched out an arm, barely able to grab hold of her waist. He ignored the surprised gasps and expressions of passerby and enemy both, managing to bring her back to his side. He had already become used to people gawking at his strange Devil's Fruit ability.

The civilians had all decided to run away or hide, which just made things easier for the two Straw Hats, as they stood back to back.

"What the hell is going on?" Nami yanked out her Perfect Clima-Tact, refusing to let go of the things they had bought today.

They were facing an army of about 50 men, all stronger than the Marine average. Bloodthirsty, dirty, and rather appalling, the men looked like they were in poor shape. Except that they were actually powerful. Luffy had only managed to injure about half of them in his successful attempt to get Nami back.

"Nami, should we fight or return to the ship?" Luffy asked, glancing left and right as if he was measuring up the men.

"Let's go back to the Sunny. We have too much stuff with us. Besides, I bet Franky's itching to do something too," Nami said, panting for breath as the adrenaline rush left her breathless. One of those said men had grabbed her and tried to run.

"Yosh." Wrapping an arm around her and stretching one to the top of a building, Luffy swung himself upwards with a "Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"

The men below tried to follow him as he went hopping from one building to the next. Luffy let out a peal of laughter as Nami hit him on the head.

"This isn't funny!" Nami hissed.

"No...I'm just excited," Luffy responded, taking another leap and landing softly. "And here I thought it was just a quiet, peaceful town."

When they finally arrived at the Thousand Sunny, a ferocious battle was already taking place on the shore. Franky, Usopp, Brook, Chopper, and Robin were all fighting the same type of men that Luffy and Nami had brought along with them, defending their ship. So far, nothing had happened to their precious Sunny.

"Oi, everybody! What's going on?" Luffy shouted. A chorus of voices answered him.

"We don't know- STRONG RIGHT!"

"They just started attacking us- Kokutei Roseo!"

"-followed us here- Clutch!"

"Put your stuff away- Hi no Tori Boshi!"

"-and fight! YOHOHOHO!"

Nami was set down and she raced towards the cabin to put her precious, newly bought belongings away before joining the melee. Their boyish captain was already busy with a "Gomu Gomu no Muchi!"

It became painfully obvious that certain crew members were not with them. Nami found herself wondering where the perverted cook and the alcoholic was when they were needed.

"Where's Zoro?" Luffy shouted over the noise of the battle, voicing her concerns.

"I haven't seen him or curly cook since an hour or so ago," Franky responded. "More shopping, or something like that."

"We won't leave without them, right?" Luffy's eyes flashed.

"Of course not. What are you talking about? We'll defend ourselves here just fine!" Nami yelled. "Thunderbolt Tempo!"

[~ * ~]

**At the other end of town...**

"Oi, is it just me, or is it a little quiet all of a sudden?" Sanji asked quietly, noticing that the townspeople were largely absent.

They had left the ship some time ago to finish up their grocery shopping after fighting for half an hour. Zoro had all but pushed Sanji into a corner to get him to fight back, even though Sanji hadn't wanted to worsen the swordsman's condition. In the end, though, both of them had been out of breath and neither of them had gotten hurt. It was like things were really back to normal, their intense rivalry restored.

But not quite.

"It feels weird," Zoro responded, nodding. His narrowed eyes analyzed the surroundings.

Just then, they caught sight of a person running straight towards them. The man stumbled over his feet only to regain balance in his haste.

"You guys better hide yourselves! Apparently some pirates are having a fight near the forest behind this town!" The man panted for breath. "I saw a young boy with an old straw hat and a girl with orange hair get taken over there..."

"WHAT?" Sanji roared. _Nami-swan..._

"This town...we've never minded pirates since they rarely attack us. But things are looking vicious there!"

Zoro tensed, his intimidating aura making the man shiver. Sanji shot him a look and Zoro nodded almost imperceptibly, immediately connecting. They had to find their crew right away.

"Thanks for the information. Which way is the way to the forest?" Sanji asked.

"Why do you want to go there?" the man asked, genuinely puzzled. "Go hide yourselves-"

"We like fighting," Sanji lied quickly. Shrugging, the man pointed to the right and Sanji thanked him.

They ran in the direction that they were told to, arriving at the entrance of the massive, dark forest.

Silence.

"Is this the right forest?" Sanji muttered, wondering if that man had just been lying to them. "I bet this is some sick joke-"

"No. You're definitely at the right place."

It was undoubtedly a woman's voice...

[~ * ~]

*omorice = omelette + rice; the vegetables and stuff Sanji uses is based on how I usually make it :D

**Author's Note:** Well, it appears as though the first several chapters will be a little less on the romantic side until the "unexpected consequence" happens, so I'm sorry if you wanted the romance right away! ^3^ Hideko and the androgynous character are OC's but they are essential only to the storyline. No OC pairings or anything like that. Also, I know that this story's is mainly in Sanji's perspective so far but don't worry, Zoro will get his turn!

Anyways, stay tuned, everyone. Please leave reviews, comments, questions, concerns, etc. because each and every one of them is like receiving a present~


	3. The Unexpected Consequence

**Author's Note: **In case any of you were confused, I changed my author's name to SereneMelodies. I used to be 21onepiecelove21, but that was just too long. And even I kept forgetting it…So yeah, just wanted to clarify. A huge thanks to all those who reviewed/favorited/followed! It's because of your encouragement and support that I am motivated to write *huge smile*

Also: In case it was confusing, in this story, the Straw Hats have not arrived on Sabaody Archipelago yet but have finished with Thriller Bark.

**Tangled**

* * *

_Chapter 3: The Unexpected Consequence_

* * *

"I think we should leave the island without them!" Nami shouted desperately, voicing the thoughts of the five others with her excluding Luffy. "We'll come back for them, I promise. But we can't hold up for much longer!"

The seven Straw Hat members had formed a defensive line around the Sunny, keeping away the enemies that seemed to multiply with every passing minute.

"They're not that strong. We can wait for Zoro and Sanji," Luffy demanded, his voice hard, eyes flashing. "We're not leaving them behind just because we're in a little bit of a fix! They'll come back here. How would you feel if Sunny wasn't there when you needed her to be?"

"Sencho-san, it's not because they're strong. It's just that we're badly outnumbered," Robin said calmly, as if she wasn't breaking the spines of a couple of the men while saying so. "We can spend one or two days out at sea and return. Kenshi-san and Cook-san would never doubt us that way. They would understand."

"You know I can bring us back here easily," Nami persuaded him. "Besides, Sunny is just as much a nakama and she's in danger from these guys. The two idiots wouldn't like it if Sunny was destroyed either."

"They're really going for the ship now," Franky said loudly. "I think it's best if we leave briefly and return quickly."

"What do these guys even want from us?" Usopp muttered.

"They just seem to want to get rid of us. Kick us off this island," Chopper answered.

Brook added, "They're not doing any significant harm at all."

"Well, what do you say, Luffy?" Nami asked tentatively.

Luffy remained silent for a few moments, glancing around at all their tired faces, before finally nodding his head. "We're coming back here after 24 hours. Let's save Sunny first."

[~ * ~]

**Some time ago…**

The thick clusters of massive trees seemed to block out all sunlight as Sanji skidded to a stop. It was as if the breeze itself was sending out a warning, a menacing aura seemingly emanating from the dark area.

"Is this the right forest?" Sanji muttered, wondering if that man had just been lying to them. "I bet this is some sick joke-"

"No. You're definitely at the right place."

Sanji's eyes widened as he heard the chillingly clear, feminine voice. He couldn't detect where the woman was with all the echoes reverberating from the dense foliage. He glanced around, briefly meeting Zoro's stony gaze which revealed nothing. Instinctively, he stepped closer to the swordsman, not so much for comfort but for stability.

Why did the tone of her voice grate so much on his nerves? It was lovely, almost artificially so, high-pitched, melodious, and authoritative. Sanji felt goosebumps rise on his arms as he called out tentatively, "Miss, do you care to explain what is going on? We're a little confused. I believe we were told that our friends would be here…"

"Oh, you're a polite one." A soft yet humorless giggle filled the air. "That's nice."

"But of course, my lady," Sanji responded, a gut reaction. "I live to serve you and you only."

"Stupid cook," Zoro muttered. "Do you not even know what kind of a situation we're in?"

Sanji shot him a glare, silently commanding him to shut the hell up before they were killed on the spot. How did Zoro expect to fight off an enemy he couldn't even see? It wasn't so much that Sanji thought they were incapable of defending themselves, just that they had no concrete information about the woman. And that lack of knowledge could prove fatal.

Plus, it was a _woman._ Which probably meant he, and more likely Zoro – in the end, Sanji could end up turning against him – would be _very_ handicapped.

Zoro shrugged, his hands travelling slowly and instinctively to his katanas. Maybe the shitty marimo never realized, but talking could be just an effective a weapon as his swords.

Sanji swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing, despite his dry mouth. This could turn out to be as awful as the time when he had been utterly useless against Kalifa at Enies Lobby and had to depend entirely on Nami to win. He hadn't been able to protect her in the slightest back then…

The same nails-on-a-chalkboard sensation accompanied the woman's subsequent laughter, snapping Sanji out of his turbulent thoughts. He rubbed his arms, feeling antsy.

"I'm really tempted to take you too. Alas, I cannot. Perhaps I should just bend my rules for you. Make an exception."

"Is that so? I'm honored beyond measure. Well, mademoiselle, I had a question for you. Do you by chance happen to know what happened to our friends?" Sanji asked more calmly than he felt. _Take me? Where? Why?_

His figure was tense with wariness despite his easygoing chatter. "One of our friends happens to be very immature and scrawny, with an old straw hat-"

"Monkey D. Luffy? 300 million bounty...I'm assuming that is him. And you are referring to the Straw Hat Pirates in general, then. Well, they are safe…for now, I suppose, though I'm not sure what's happening to them at the moment. You see, I am here, and they are there, so I don't actually know."

_Shit. Where was she talking from?_

"Should I be surprised you know him?" Sanji asked, changing the subject and trying to locate her with the only clue he had: the sound of her voice. Her vague answer worried him.

"I think not. He is infamous for his deeds after all. It's too bad he's a little…young for my tastes. Ah, the Straw Hats. Known for their ridiculous habit of overdoing things and making the World Government as well as the Marines infinitely angry…"

In the blink of an eye, two figures appeared, sitting down on low branches of a tree in the center. They were both cloaked, hoods covering facial features. Sanji took one defensive step backwards at the sight.

"What do you want," Zoro said flatly. The woman tittered again, and Sanji fought the urge not to shiver.

"_You._"

Without really thinking, Sanji spluttered, "WHAT? The _marimo?_"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Zoro protested, addressing both of them.

"Is it so surprising?" The same voice came from one of the hooded figures. After chortling at Sanji's shock, she sighed. "It really is too boring up here. I might as well introduce myself."

The woman jumped off easily, landing so slowly that she seemed to defy gravity. She appeared to float in the air effortlessly. The hood fell backwards as her violet mane was freed, the cascade of waves falling gently over her shoulders perfectly into a styled position. Her beauty was vicious in its intensity, purple eyes flashing with cold amusement. The robe did nothing to conceal her stunning, hourglass figure.

The second figure stayed as still as a rock on the branch, as the purple-haired woman took a step forward.

"Mademoiselle, I believe you've captured my heart," Sanji murmured, glad she had come out into the open. Zoro mumbled incoherent things behind him and Sanji struggled not to argue with him.

It was true she was unbelievably gorgeous but all Sanji could feel was an uneasiness he couldn't comprehend. Only habit forced him to speak and act the way he did. Zoro could think what he liked, but…

_Something feels wrong here._

"Flattery will get you nowhere…though it is always appreciated," she chuckled, approaching the two men slowly. "I really do like you, Blond-san. Hm…how do I start my story-"

"Save it," Zoro said, sliding one of his katana out and holding it out defensively. "Just what do you want?"

"I believe I've already answered that question," she replied, her singsong voice causing further irritation. "Unless you want me to repeat myself, in which case, I will. I want _you._"

"Don't interrupt a lady," Sanji warned, flinging a halfhearted kick at the marimo, who blocked effortlessly. _Zoro, just let her talk already…what the hell does she want with you? Or me, for that matter?_

The swordsman seemed to understand and didn't say anything, his eyebrow twitching as a vein popped in his forehead.

"Do you wish to fight me?" she asked gleefully, her hands coming together to drum her fingertips off each other.

"Of course not," Sanji replied smoothly, cutting Zoro off and directing the conversation towards himself. "Please, by all means, speak. I'm – I mean, _we're_ – all ears."

The woman tucked her hair behind her ear in a coy fashion, making Sanji feel even more uncomfortable. Nothing was innocent about that usually shy and feminine gesture. There was a strange vibe coming from her, a horrifically strong aura that seemed to wrap itself around her entire being.

"While I don't know you, I do know Roronoa Zoro. So-called first mate of the Straw Hat crew. Defeated little Kaku at Enies Lobby. An impressive feat for average standards. I believe you do know my _friends_, the Cipher Pol 9 members."

As understanding dawned on both of them, the purple-haired beauty paced around in front of them slowly, watching their faces. She seemed delighted at the sight of their disbelief and shock.

Sanji tried not to stare at her. _Is she a secret member or something? What the hell is going on?_

"Don't worry. The World Government has absolutely no control over me like they do over the seven official members of CP9," she scoffed lightly. "After all, it's not like they can send Lucci after me or anything. All of this…this is for my personal enjoyment, nothing more."

The metallic _ching!_ of the katana could be heard as Zoro adjusted his hold. He glared at her, stating bluntly, "So you're saying that you're an unofficial member of CP9 and you're out to hunt us for the _fun_ of it."

"Something like that." She smiled, baring her teeth. "My name is Hideko. Nice to meet you two. I'm guessing Mr. Blond is either a new member or just an acquaintance."

As much as Sanji wanted to say that he was the one and only Black-Leg Sanji (how did she not know this by now? Oh wait, he had that monstrosity of a wanted poster…), he tamped down his impatience. _It's better that she doesn't know me. _

"Cut the formalities," Zoro said apathetically, "and just get on with it. Explain yourself."

"Ah, if you insist. You see, I have a habit – hobby, more like – that the World Government does not dare interfere with. You'll remember that the CP9 members truly consisted of Lucci, Kaku, Jabra, Blueno, Kumadori, Fukuro, and Kalifa. It would be idiotic indeed if CP9 didn't have 9 members. So I am counted as one, and my dear Haruka over there is counted as the last. Though really, we do as we please. They can't stop us," she explained slowly as if talking to a child. "It just so turns out that…I am the one who developed Rokushiki."

"Rokushiki?" Sanji frowned. "You can't possibly be referring to…"

"Kami-e, Geppo, Rankyaku, Shigan, Soru, Tekkai. The kids took the moves I taught them and adopted Rokushiki to fit their personal fighting styles," Hideko chuckled softly. "I'm assuming you remember some of them. They're quite unforgettable, if a little cookie-cutter like."

"Rankyaku…the move that Kaku used to slice the building," Zoro recalled, his eyes narrowing dangerously, his left hand reaching for another katana to unsheathe. "So you're worse than all of them. Perhaps all of them combined."

"Now, now, don't get defensive. The World Government insisted I teach some of my tricks. That was all." Hideko fluttered her eyelashes in a deceptively demure manner. "Lucci, I admit, I was quite proud of. He mastered Rokuogan with little problem. Rokushiki is really just the basics anyway."

_Just the basics?_

She turned to face Zoro completely. "You defeated Kaku, who had a doriki of 2200. Lucci had 4000. And you see…they are my pupils and have yet to surpass me. Doriki shows your power level, as you well know. Just how did you manage to beat him as a swordsman? It's so interesting that my blood begins to boil. Could you have faced Lucci yourself and emerged a victor-"

"Get on with it," Zoro snapped, repeating himself harshly.

"I really _do_ like you. Well, I ate the Henshin Henshin no Mi. I turn people into different things. But I'm only interested in unique, powerful people, for my collection must be, is, and will be the best. Remarkable people turn into remarkable things. Take Trafalgar Law, for example. He's a martial eagle. Quite magnificent," Hideko said lightly, while her stance stiffened and her hands stilled. Her eyes glowed with satisfaction, confidence, and something like greed. "I have a virtual zoo! And I'm determined to find out what you'll turn into."

As the last word was being said, Zoro quickly took his swords and attacked, muttering, "Nanajuni Pound Ho."

Sanji couldn't stop himself from yelling, "Oi! Don't hurt a lady!", instinctively sending a kick in the direction of the moss ball. A tree fell somewhere in the nearby vicinity.

"I just counteracted her attack is all. I didn't hurt her," Zoro said, matter-of-factly, his gaze steady as he tried to concentrate.

Sanji knew that too. He had also just briefly seen her hands send out some sort of beam-like force before the swordsman had naturally reacted to defend himself. He still couldn't help himself from taking the lady's side, however. _Dammit._

"Impressive. Sort of." The woman had clearly dodged with some variation of Soru.

Sanji fought his instincts to launch himself at Zoro completely and start fighting him. After all, he had been raised to protect ladies regardless of the situation. He clenched his jaw, hearing something pop.

"Sorugeppo." The bone-chilling voice came from above. Instead of bouncing around like the CP9 members had, she was floating in the air with little effort, as if she were walking on the air. Then she smiled. "Fast, but not quite fast enough. Strong, but not strong enough. I wonder what you'll turn out to be. Your green hair is also intriguing. I doubt you'll turn into a marimo, like Blond-san says. Maybe some type of crocodile-like thing? A lizard? A dragon? Or will the green-hair not make a difference…but it should…"

"Are you saying you don't know?" Sanji asked, unsure of what to do other than to keep the conversation going. "That is a very strange Devil's Fruit that you ate."

"You just randomly choose people to keep as some kind of pet?" Zoro spat indignantly. "Why?"

"My ability doesn't allow me to change the predestined being of a person. Which is why you, Roronoa Zoro, are so fascinating. I can't guess at all! And what's better than having people serve you, kept in cages like animals…because that is what they truly are!" Hideko said brightly, laughing. "But enough about that. We might as well fight until I get tired. This is simply too amusing to give up. Both of you…bring it on."

Her eyes turned into slits as she cackled. "Shigan!"

Before either of them could really understand what was happening, Sanji felt something like a bullet pierce through his shoulder and pull back out, but nothing was there except for a clean hole which began oozing blood. He barely managed to dodge the others, clutching at his wound with his right hand. He panted for breath and began feeling lightheaded from excess oxygen.

_Dammit, my left arm is completely useless right now. _

"Sanji!" Zoro yelled, having deflected the finger-sized air bullets with his katana just in time to avoid getting hit.

It was as if Hideko were shooting a gun at them with invisible ammunition.

"Ha…" Sanji tried to breathe and ignore the pain. The trees were starting to spin together, and he wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "I'm fine, marimo. Don't get distracted."

_Save yourself…_

"Sanji…"

"He's right, you know, Zoro dear. Rankyaku!"

_This isn't like the normal CP9 attacks. She's doing everything with less effort. More strength. Deadly accuracy. It took our entire crew minus Brook to take down CP9 but she's even more powerful than them all combined, if what she says is true. She even used Shigan without touching us physically. There's no way we'll be able to take her down, with Zoro the way he is and with my fucked up hand…so what can we do?_

Sanji jumped again, dodging with as much speed as he could muster, as Zoro blocked the rapid, destructive slashes.

_We're doomed._

"Nigiri…hirameki!"

She was gone instantaneously, appearing right before them in the next second. Her smile became demonic as she licked her lips. "Dodging you is too easy, my dear Zoro. Your skills are too unrestrained. Brute strength does not make you powerful. Shigan!"

After deflecting the "bullets", Zoro grabbed Wado and stuck it in his mouth quickly. "Don't lecture me, woman! Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!"

She skipped around in the air using Geppo, her laughter trailing after her. "Strong but so _slow_! Haven't you been paying any attention to what I've been saying? 2 swords, 3 swords…the same move won't work twice, especially if it didn't work the first time! Though I have to say, santoryu is quite amazing…and what about you, Mr. Blond? Why so quiet? Rankyaku!"

He couldn't even muster the self-will to use Diable Jambe as he jumped to the side to avoid her attack. Her slash grazed his arm, leaving a little cut.

"Why don't you put up a bigger fight?" she demanded. "You're making me bored. And that is not good for you."

"Zoro, I can't fight her," he muttered desperately, unable to face her directly. "I can't hurt her. She's a lady."

"What?" she cackled, her voice incredulous. "You can't possibly be serious! Oh, you are just too funny! Are you really so chivalrous?"

Sanji didn't respond, almost hating that he couldn't participate in the fight properly.

"Just don't get in my way then, ero-cook." Zoro grinned grimly, his look of understanding worse than Hideko's mockery. "Keep yourself alive."

Sanji's fist clenched. So in the end, he couldn't do anything. There was nothing he could do to help. And Zoro was going to have to do everything. Protect him.

He was useless.

_You just can't compare to someone like Luffy…What can you protect?_

Every muscle in his body froze. Dear God, he did _not_ need this right now. But it was already too late. His feet rooted to the spot, eyes becoming unfocused.

_You don't belong in this crew._

His brain refused to give his body the commands he needed to move, shutting down and letting his fears take over his consciousness. What he saw physically was no longer registering properly in his warped mind, his surroundings changing to fit the images he had seen in his nightmare. The trees disappeared, shapes shifting to turn into the waves of the ocean. Chains that only he could see tied him down to the ground.

_Snap out of it! You're stronger than this!_

_We don't need you…_

A powerful force collided into his side, shoving him to the ground so harshly that he skidded across the dirt floor of the forest. His vision cleared as he tried to sit up, awakened from the trance. A heavy weight was draped across him.

"What the hell...what the _hell_?" Sanji shouted as he struggled to understand what had happened. Zoro was sprawled out, his limbs holding him up just enough so he that he managed to pick himself back up.

"Oi…take care of yourself. Didn't I warn you?" Zoro wheezed as blood began seeping out of his side. A particularly bad wound received at Thriller Bark also opened up, making the damage appear even worse. "What were you doing, just standing there and staring off into space?"

"I wonder…are you two lovers? Please explain this strange atmosphere," she giggled. "Mr. Blond, Roronoa Zoro seems to be looking out for you an awful lot, considering he just took my Rankyaku straight on to protect you."

Sanji felt his facial muscles contort into a frown out of horror

"Ignore her," Zoro muttered, getting himself together. "Just keep yourself safe."

_He had gotten hurt…because of me?_ Sanji's eyes widened, refusing to accept it. _That…that's not what rivals do! You asshole! Don't take the blows intended for me!_

"That's not very nice. How could you ignore someone like me? Henshin Henshin beam~!" she trilled.

Reflexively, Sanji dragged Zoro's arm across his shoulder and jumped backwards, narrowly missing the beam's range.

"Let go of me, stupid cook," Zoro rasped. "It'll be a little harder for her to aim for both of us if we're separated."

"So now it's a game of cat-and-mouse, is it? I chase you…until you lose. Until I win. Until both of you are in your alternate forms and within in my personal collection," Hideko laughed. "That sounds fun. Very fun, indeed…not. Come on, you two. I expected more from members of the Straw Hat crew!"

"Let me get this straight, Hideko-chan. You want this moss ball in your zoo collection?" Sanji babbled, desperate to keep her distracted. "Out of all the people in the world, you want this guy? You have a strange taste in people."

Zoro readjusted Wado in his mouth, jumping away from Sanji with a leap.

"How often do you see a green-haired man?" She raised her shoulders in what would usually be an adorable way. But her malevolently glowing violet eyes offset the gesture. "To me, it is utterly enthralling. A relatively strong man with a high bounty and green hair who is feisty to boot! Not to mention that he happens to have a polite, lovely friend. Henshin Henshin beam~!"

The beam was directed at Sanji, who managed to dodge, but it hit a large rock, which suddenly transformed into a mouse. How had he not noticed this before?

"Holy shit," Sanji breathed, not in awe but in horror as he observed the genetic changes slowly. The half-rat twitched as if in pain, the alteration so excruciatingly slow that Sanji was forced to look away. "This is what you do to people?"

"Indeed," she answered with a smirk. "Shigan! Rankyaku!"

Faster than Sanji could possibly register, the flying attacks made their marks on his body as he fell to the ground on his hands and knees. He coughed up blood as he realized she had hit some areas that were too unnervingly close to the vital organs. "Shit."

"Oi, I told you to watch out!" Zoro shouted angrily from the other side, sending another attack in Hideko's direction, only to have her kick it back at him easily, despite being barefoot. Zoro jumped backwards to avoid his own slash, losing his balance and falling down on one knee.

_How was that possible?_

"Haruka, I'm getting very bored. They're not putting up a very good fight," Hideko said suddenly, turning towards her still silent and stiff partner on the tree. Her attitude changed so quickly that she seemed like a different person. "Grab Zoro, will you? I want to just finish this."

The second figure swooped down in a motion so fast that she seemed to fly, hood falling to reveal a shocking pixie cut of electric blue. The most bizarre thing was that it was difficult to tell if she was female or male from the slim figure or the face.

Sanji struggled not to stare at him…her…it...

The androgynous person used Soru just as efficiently as Hideko had, instantaneously appearing a few inches away from Zoro's face. He took his katana and sliced through Haruka's body, swiping cleanly through. Normally, it would have killed a person without question.

To his shock, however, only the cloak was in pieces, revealing the watery body of the person beneath. There was no blood on his sword. No blood, no skin, no bones, nothing.

"You…" Zoro gawked.

"Mizu Mizu no Mi," Haruka answered, her genderless voice even more sinister than Hideko's. "Logia. You could never cut me with mere katanas."

"How is that even possible…" Sanji murmured, coughing up more blood. _Shit, this isn't looking so good._

Haruka easily took the swords away from Zoro in her aqueous grip and stabbed him with an unbelievable speed, pinning him down to the ground by the shoulders and the abdomen.

"ZORO!" Sanji yelled, feeling all his muscles rebel against the action. _Is this all we were capable of? Is that all _I_ was capable of?_

_Do we…end here?_

The swordsman managed to yank the katanas out, bleeding heavily. He struggled to sit up, unable to clutch at any of the wounds to stop the blood from flowing out.

"This is…nothing…" Zoro coughed. "Nothing…compared to…"

"Stop talking, you idiot!" Sanji shouted, shocked at the wetness at his eyes.

"Run…Sanji…" Zoro panted. "Get…back…to…Luffy…Tell him…I'm sorry…"

"Yes, please do. You no longer interest me," Hideko said, her voice going flat, the sound worse than her previous chatter. "It appears you and Zoro are on different levels when it comes to fighting. Besides, I really am getting tired. Especially tired of this nakama-sacrifice ordeal. Ah…I would _kill_ for a nice glass of poitin."

The lady was crazy. Bipolar. Manic. Psychotic. Words were insufficient in fully describing her nature.

"Henshin Henshin beam!"

And before he knew what he was doing, Sanji urged himself up, raced in front of Zoro and jumped, taking the beam instead. He tumbled to the ground, feeling as if he'd been hit by lightning, the pain immediately sinking in.

"SANJI!"

_You should have been the one to sacrifice yourself…then they would finally care about you…once you were dead and gone…At least you would have been some use to them...prove yourself a nakama..._

_How about now?_

[~ * ~]

It was excruciating.

As if his skull was being torn apart. As if every bone was being crushed. As if every muscle was being ripped into pieces and re-stitched. As if every cell in his body was imploding.

Nauseating. Horrendous. The feeling of wanting to burst out of your skin to escape the terrifying torment.

Sanji felt the skin on his head stretch and tear as his features began rearranging themselves. His face was on fire, or so it seemed, the intense pain threatening to make him lose consciousness. He couldn't see a single thing, the blinding, white-hot agony preventing him from doing anything but twitch on the ground.

His spine seemed to snap under the pressure of the transformation.

Every sinew, every structural part in his feet was shrinking. But nothing compared to the torture that his legs were going through. His longer-than-average limbs felt as though it were being sawed off at a million different places.

An ear-splitting scream, inhuman in its atrocity, reached his ears.

Something was growing near his hip and ass, beginning to protrude through the skin.

There was the scream again.

Beyond the indescribable pain, he could feel the gazes on him, his skin sensitized and beginning to grow hair. In profusion. It was as if all fighting, all arguing, had stopped so they could observe him.

Faintly, _very_ faintly, he heard a woman's voice.

"Oh that is just too bad. I was actually a little curious about how you'd turn out. You're just a common-"

A final flash of pain, and he lost his battle to stay awake, to stay conscious.

"_SANJI!_"

[~ * ~]

**Author's Note: **I finally got to the "unexpected consequence"! Let the fluffiness begin…just kidding. But yeah, most of the plot stuff is out of the way for now. So expect some Zoro/Sanji lovin'!

By the way: I kept the names of the attacks in Japanese. It just doesn't sound right in English, you know?

And: I looked up Japanese names for Hideko & Haruka. Just in case you were curious, Hideko means "splendid child" and Haruka means "faraway, distant". I could be pitifully wrong, but this was the result of my research :D

Any questions, comments, concerns, others? XD (Guess what Sanji has turned into!)


	4. Feelings of a Marimo

**Author's Note: **I loved all the reviews. Thank you all for making me smile so much my face cracked (seriously…). Good guesses *grin* I hope I won't let you all down with this chapter. And uh…I'm sorry for that awful cliffhanger T.T

By the way: the explanation for my choice of animal is at the end if you're interested. XD

And: I'm going to take a lot of liberties with the One Piece plot *grins*

**Tangled**

* * *

_Chapter 4: Feelings of a Marimo_

* * *

**Going back a little bit in time…**

_Is this really the end? _

"ZORO!"

He heard Sanji yell out his name. It was strangely faint, as if the cook was a great distance away from him.

_Watch out, Sanji…_

Zoro inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm himself, smelling the metallic scent of blood in the air. His blood.

From the beginning, it had been obvious how much of a gap existed between the two of them and the woman. He didn't want to admit it, but there was simply no way they could have won. Despite the terrible odds, though, it was in his nature to put up a fight, and he assumed that the shitty cook was the same way.

So they had fought. Or something like that.

Gritting his teeth, he managed to yank the katanas out, his muscles twitching almost unbearably. That watery person clearly had a level of strength to rival his own, even beyond the fact that he or she had eaten a Devil's Fruit, seeing as how he had literally been pinned to the ground, with the katanas going through his body and sticking into the soil.

_How pathetic…I guess that was all my training ever amounted to._

Haruka looked at him with indifferent, eerily amber eyes, her job done. He supposed it was kind of her to not inflict any more pain than necessary. With a groan, he struggled to sit up, unable to clutch at any of the wounds to stop the blood from flowing out.

_Ah…goddamn, it hurts._

"This is…nothing…" he coughed, trying to ignore the blood trickling from his lips. "Nothing…compared to…"

_The pain of Thriller Bark._

"Stop talking, you idiot!" Sanji shouted.

"Run…Sanji…" Zoro panted. The last thing he wanted was for Sanji to worry about him. "Get…back…to…Luffy…Tell him…I'm sorry…"

_It's not such a bad end. At least if I'm not dying for my ambition, I'm dying to protect a nakama. I can fight these two until the end. Sanji…stay safe…_

All the voices blended into one chaotic sound as he tried to get himself together. After what seemed like hours, though in reality was only half a minute or so, his vision refocused and the voices were becoming discernible from one another. The mumble that had belonged to Haruka finally turned clear as he heard, "Henshin Henshin beam!"

_That's my cue. Everyone…take care…_

Zoro's eyes automatically closed in anticipation of the beam. Would it hurt? What would he be? It was a strange, fucked up sort of reincarnation. Maybe that was the punishment for not believing in a god.

It was an interesting thing, his desire to snort. The concept of a god still meant little to him.

But, really, he had always thought he'd be more rebellious when he faced his death. Or rebirth. Or whatever he was supposed to call this transformation.

Huh. It didn't really hurt at all.

He opened his eyes, wondering if he had changed that quickly, when he saw Sanji's slim form crumple to the ground before him, looking electrocuted, and begin writhing on the ground.

"SANJI!" Zoro roared, the pain of the three wounds completely forgotten in his horror. If there really was a god out there, he or she surely hated him.

Hideko's grating laughter filled the forest. "Aww, how sweet. A friend taking a bullet, so to speak, for another friend, perhaps even a lover, not knowing that the other will meet the exact same fate…Shall we see what he turns into first? I have to admit, I'm actually quite curious now that he took the beam for you."

_Why? Why? WHY! _

"Fuck, Sanji! WHY?" he bellowed, unsure of what to do as he saw him struggle through the change. His eyes stung, hot tears threatening to overflow, as he stared at the blond shrinking, screaming in pain.

_Sanji…I told you to run, dammit! That…that should have been me! It was _my_ pain to bear, you asshole!_

"Turn him back!" Zoro yelled desperately. "Take me instead. You're the one who demanded that I go with you. You were bored of him. Let him be a human. I'll do whatever you want…"

"Shh. I like hearing his screams," Hideko grinned, her violet eyes flashing red for a split second. Then her face contorted into a hideous, contemptuous smirk. "If he's interesting enough, I'll take him with me. Don't worry your adorable green head, Roronoa Zoro. I won't separate you two…perhaps."

Zoro stared at the animal on the ground, no longer showing any humanly physical qualities.

_That is not…is that…it can't be…_

Hideko addressed the unconscious Sanji with a tap against his newly formed head, poking at him with her toe. "Oh that is just too bad. I was actually a little curious about how you'd turn out. You're just a common-_._"

With a final shriek, the change was complete.

"_SANJI!_" Zoro roared.

His rival, his nakama, his crewmate, the cook, the womanizer, the pervert, the idiot…Sanji had turned into a _dog._

He wanted to laugh, but not because it was funny. Maybe in any other circumstance, it would have been. In this moment in time, it was only unbelievable. Refusing to accept what he was seeing, he pulled himself off the ground, barely able to stand.

"Please. Just turn him back," Zoro muttered. "Please…I beg of you."

"While I _could_ do that, why _would_ I? Though I have to say, Roronoa Zoro begging is quite a sight to see." She grinned. "It's your turn now."

_Shit…I guess in the end, I couldn't protect him at all. Will I ever see the others again? How will Sanji get back to them-_

"TEKKAIRANKYAKU!"

Zoro blinked his eyes open at the change of words, confused. Wasn't it supposed to be some sort of beam?

Before he could comprehend what was happening, the violet-haired woman fell to the ground, murmuring to herself in such a menacing and self-deprecating way that Zoro couldn't stop the goosebumps from rising on his flesh. That's kind of how he had been like after he had been attacked by Hollows at Thriller Bark…

"Horo horo horo! What makes you think that Rankyaku would work on me? That's not cute at all!"

Where had he heard that laughter before? And he could have sworn that it was none other than a Hollow that had pierced through Hideko just then…

"Roronoa Zoro, get out of here. It's too soon for you to meet your end. Take your friend and run."

His eyes widened as he heard another familiar voice, this time a man. Two figures stepped in front of him and Sanji, one with curly pink hair and the other…

His ultimate goal. Dracule Mihawk.

"What the hell?" Zoro's jaw hung open as he stared at the pair, bizarre in their partnership. The girl was floating in the air, thin and so very _girly_ in comparison to Mihawk's deadly calm and seriousness that they almost looked ridiculous. What was the girl's name again? Melona*? He wondered what they were doing together.

"Take Roronoa Zoro to my place," Mihawk said quietly. "We'll talk later."

"Don't order me around!" the girl whined, pouting. Regardless, she turned towards Zoro and frowned. She mumbled to herself, "Why do I have to help out a Straw Hat? _So_ not cute."

Then she caught sight of Sanji in his golden retriever form and immediately made a motion to grab him, her eyes all but turning into hearts, when she pouted again. "I forgot…I can't carry him in this state. You! Pick him up gently! He's so cute~"

Zoro didn't bother arguing and scooped Sanji up in his arms as carefully as he could, ignoring the protest raging in his body. The loss of blood made him dizzy but he managed to stay standing.

"Oi, are you okay?" the girl asked, for once genuinely concerned. "When we get to my body, I'll help you walk. I can't do much like this. I'm only a projection of myself after all."

It was true that she seemed rather like a ghost, floating around…He had definitely seen her at Thriller Bark. Why was it so hard to remember her though?

"Haruka!" Hideko shrieked, reverting all of their attention back on her. Zoro stumbled over his own feet in surprise but quickly regained his balance. She screamed, "Help me!"

Zoro watched, horrified yet amazed that water seemed to go straight through the woman and formed back into the shape of a human as Haruka stepped out of Hideko's body calmly. The violet-haired woman fell to the ground and twitched before she regained the strength to get up, facing Mihawk. Zoro guessed that Haruka had somehow counteracted against the Hollow's effects by "washing" her.

"What is a Shichibukai getting in my way for?" Hideko spat, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Go away."

"Isn't it humiliating to be defeated by someone like Perona? It was nice seeing that even your Tekkai can be broken by such a thing," Mihawk said coolly and Perona huffed in indignation. The man glared at her to get going, silencing her before she could defend herself.

_Right, that was her name. Perona._

"Now, go!" the golden-eyed man repeated, pulling out the infamous black blade, Yoru. "Hideko, I'm sorry to say that you won't be getting the young man today. I am your opponent! You do realize this island is under my jurisdiction?"

Zoro tried his best to put one foot ahead of the other, walking slowly but surely outside the trees of the forest with Perona nagging in his ear. When they finally got to an area with several buildings, far enough away from the forest, the girl returned to her body and tried to help him stay up.

The last thing he heard was the psychotic woman screeching, "What the hell are you doing? I want Roronoa Zoro in my collection!"

[~ * ~]

"OI! Wake up! You're so ungrateful and not cute! I'm in a huge rush to leave, you know, I have to _go_ – ara?"

Zoro groaned, the light piercing his eyelids with such intensity that it was beginning to cause a major headache. With some difficulty, he forced his eyes to open and rubbed them with the back of his hand. He grimaced at the godawful pull in his shoulder, instinctively clutching it with the other hand, only to feel a mirrored pain.

_Ah, shit, that hurts._

"Don't move! Can you hear me? Oi! You! Hmph! You are _so_ not cute. Do you know how heavy you were? I was so scared that you would drop the adorable little puppy. Then, of course, I would take the puppy instead of you."

Zoro nodded infinitesimally, not really paying much attention and wishing that the girl would just shut up about cuteness already. Sighing, he finally managed to keep his eyes open and took a look at, well, the ceiling. The light had come from the lamp nearby, which Perona had probably used to try and wake him up, since the sun was beginning to set.

Then the memories flashed back in his mind. The ridiculous fight with a woman named Hideko. Getting stabbed three times by an androgynous person who he could never cut. And Sanji…

Sanji…

"SANJI!" he roared, unintentionally launching himself out of bed, only to collapse in pain. His face slammed against the floor as his limbs gave way. Unable to muster the strength to lift himself up, he remained in his humiliating position, ass up in the air. "Shit."

"Your friend is fine but he hasn't woken up yet. Which is_ fine_. So be quiet and let him sleep!" the girl named Perona insisted, staring at him with wide, rather creepy eyes. She blinked slowly, observing him as if he was a different species before yanking him back into the bed. Despite her slim figure, she was stronger than he thought.

He felt his muscles cry out in pain as he landed hard against one arm. He hissed, readjusting his position to try and maximize the little comfort he had.

"Ara, sorry about that," she said sheepishly.

"Just…explain. What happened?" he rasped, barely able to get the words out.

"Well, Hideko is a part of the World Government but really detached from it at the same time. She's considered to be a part of the CP9 faction but she does whatever she wants. Basically, she turns men, and very rarely women, into something. Whatever that something is, no one really knows. Your friend turned into a golden retriever. Who knows why?" Perona shrugged. "Those are her Devil Fruit's abilities."

"I know that all already. I just want to know what happened," he said, trying not to cough.

"I'm trying to tell you, you un-cute man!" Perona pouted, a little frown appearing on her face. "Why do you keep demanding so much from me?"

"Okay, okay, just talk." He gave up trying to rush her. "My bad."

"Hmph!" She crossed her arms. "All I know is from what that idiot hawk-man told me. In any case, she's been targeting you since the incident at Enies Lobby. You caught her eye somehow and considering how she's super selective about her choices, you should take that as a compliment. Anyway, she keeps these people as pets inside that monster she calls a ship. They all have collars on their necks that'll explode and behead them, all for security measures. Hideko doesn't want to lose anyone, after all. The collars are controlled by the water Logia woman, Haruka, who is absolutely loyal to Hideko for reasons unknown."

"So she's a woman," Zoro clarified. Somehow, she reminded him strangely of Kuina. Not that Kuina hadn't been feminine. It was just the level of strength and power that he found himself admiring in both of them.

"Yes. Anyway, I was sent from Thriller Bark by the _very_ un-cute Bartholomew Kuma to an island nearby here. It just so happened that the entire island belonged to Dracule Mihawk. It was so…dead there! Nothing happened at all. So boring! I complained every day until he agreed to bring me here. We arrived, then he caught sight of the purple hair and your own bright green hair, since he has inhuman vision, you know. So he knew that it was her and that she was after you. After that, he said we had to save you," Perona explained quickly. "Now you're at a random inn. Because there was _no_ way I could possibly take you to the hawk-man's place by myself. What does that man think he is? How strong does he think _I_ am?"

"Where is he?" Zoro asked, head spinning. Things still weren't making much sense to him.

"He somehow managed to win against Hideko, but they escaped to their own ship before he could do much else," Perona shrugged. "He didn't explain this part so clearly, but obviously he survived and failed to take them into custody, since he dropped by here about an hour ago to tell me that."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to return to Thriller Bark somehow. I miss everybody! So you take care of yourself and your friend here. I was only waiting for you to wake up so I could make sure you weren't actually dead."

"Okay…" Zoro wasn't sure of what else to say. His brain threatened to shut down at her all-over-the-place explanation. He looked downwards, noticing that the bandages wrapping the entire upper part of his body. "It looks like you're not so bad at medical treatments. Thanks."

Perona's eyes narrowed in anger. "The barbaric hawk-man did it! He said what I did would make you bleed even more and said he had to redo everything himself."

Zoro grinned at her, though he also felt like shouting in frustration. Why the hell did he have to get so indebted to Dracule Mihawk of all people?

But they were safe for now. Sanji would be able to have some time to recuperate.

"I'm going to go now. I think you'll be okay by yourself," Perona muttered. "This island is entirely friendly except for the two you met at the forest, and they're both with the rude yellow-eyes now. It's safe here, but it's time for me to go. Make sure your adorable friend is okay."

"Thanks," Zoro repeated, sitting up against the bed. Perona finally smiled at him and waved as she walked out the door with two accompanying Hollows.

He sat there motionless, only blinking in confusion.

"What the fuck is going on," Zoro said flatly to himself. Everything was too overwhelming, happening too fast, for him to comprehend properly. He only had an ominous feeling that things weren't really over yet.

More importantly, how would he be able to face his crew with Sanji the way he was? He felt nauseous as his mind kept repeating the scene over and over again in his head. How would the others treat him, knowing that what had happened to Sanji was completely and utterly his fault?

A little whine from his left drew his attention and he finally realized he was in the same bed as Sanji, who was curled on a pillow, frowning.

A golden retriever, huh? It wasn't big enough to be full-grown but not small enough to be a puppy. Arm-sized.

"Just how the hell am I supposed to turn you back to normal? Will the effects wear off?" Zoro mumbled, reaching a hand out to stroke Sanji's head. His fur was unbelievably soft. A small smile tugged his lips as he brushed away the pained expression on the dog's face, smoothing out the furrowed brows.

The dog was like Sanji in every way.

Why had he done that? Why did Sanji keep insisting on putting his life on the line for everyone else, _all by himself_?

Despite what it often seemed like, Zoro was perceptive, perhaps more so than most of the Straw Hat members and definitely more than they gave him credit for. It hadn't escaped his notice that Sanji seemed to take the whole world upon his own two shoulders in his attempt to protect what he cherished, refusing to share the weight. He had also seen how the cook tended to isolate himself, making sure the others were happy before even taking care of his own health, though it always seemed like they took him for granted, Zoro included. Maybe Sanji himself didn't know it, but it showed on his face sometimes, the crushing loneliness that he absorbed and bottled up inside.

Sanji had seemed so melancholy, eating his late and only meal at 3 in the morning. The sight of the cook looking forlornly and mockingly at his less-than-perfect work had been nothing less than torture for Zoro. He had wondered if it was because he had always seen Sanji as a strong person who never really showed any of his true emotions. The cook really _was _sensitive, even if he tried not to show it.

Did the stupid blond not realize that he was just as much a Straw Hat member as everyone else? He mothered everyone, nagged at them, fed them, played with them, without so much as a thought for himself. That was probably why people never noticed that Sanji also needed to be taken care of, that Sanji needed just as much as support as he was giving others.

What could Zoro have done? He had respected Sanji's decision to keep their relationship as a rivalry too much to try and baby him.

In the end, though, the idiot cook was always the one who thought one step ahead and acted without getting anyone else involved, from as far back as Alabasta. When things seemed bleak, it was as if Sanji always found a way to make it better for all of them at the risk of his own life.

And then there had been that incident at Thriller Bark.

Sanji had saved him from Kuma's direct and lethal attack, while knowing that his leg couldn't have possibly taken any more impact. Zoro couldn't understand why, even from the beginning, Sanji refused to look after himself. The same thing had happened with Arlong long ago when they had fought together, side by side. And it had kept happening. He supposed that he still didn't understand Sanji well enough to know the answer.

But he found himself wanting to.

Zoro had been utterly horrified when Sanji had offered his head instead. Barely able to stand but still willing to be the sacrifice, Sanji had coolly stepped in front of him, worrying only about his safety, his life, and the future that lay for the Straw Hats...without their precious cook.

Why the _hell_ had Sanji tried to protect Zoro's ambition at the cost of his own? Hadn't finding All Blue been his ultimate goal? Didn't that mean anything to him?

That devastating loneliness still had been there, emanating from his shaking figure. As if he thought it was his duty to protect everyone, as if he valued his life less than anyone else's. He had stood there so calmly, pretending to be fine with everything. To face death so fearlessly and recklessly…

In that instant, Zoro had felt the strongest urge to protect Sanji, to take the pain instead. Would it pay off all the debt he had accumulated over their voyage? He didn't think so. He just knew that he had to make sure Sanji would survive. After Kuma's air bomb, the only one capable of taking any more damage was Zoro himself and he had known it. Sanji was strong, very much so, but he hadn't undergone the training Zoro had, to withstand that much harm. It had been obvious what he should do, and he had done it.

After all, what could the crew do without a cook, a kick-ass one at that? Yes, Zoro had his own dreams, ones that wouldn't – couldn't – be achieved without the captain's. Luffy might depend on him but the person that the captain truly _needed_ was the cook. There wasn't anyone else who was so well-rounded on their ship. What did it matter if Zoro was strong?

Above everything, he had realized he wanted to look after the cook. Shield him from pain and further loneliness. And it shocked him how his priorities kept changing. The crew and Luffy's dream came first, Sanji's safety and goals definitely included and perhaps even more so, before his own.

Maybe that pain that he had taken for Luffy…maybe that could compare to the weight of the burden Sanji carried with him everywhere, every day. Zoro refused to let such a thing happen again, that somehow, he'd get the blond to share his troubles.

He had promised himself he'd look after Sanji as a rival, as a nakama…

How _badly_ that had failed…

[~ * ~]

Zoro had been unable to sleep very well. His mind kept replaying what had happened, refusing to let him rest. And the one time he actually snoozed off, he had a nightmare that was much worse than the reality. Giving up after sunrise, he had chosen leave his eyes open and watch Sanji instead, constantly petting his soft, golden pelt. The sun had risen a few hours ago, casting its warm light across the minimally furnished room and Sanji's sleeping figure.

_Sanji…_

He carefully flexed his right arm, glad that he was at least able to move now, even if it hurt a little. He had definitely experienced worse before. Haruka had definitely caused minimal damage, the angle at which she had stabbed him tearing the smallest possible amount of muscles, avoiding any critical areas. Another reason to be glad.

Gently, he leaned to his left and picked up Sanji in his arms, cradling him like a person would for a baby. He stumbled out of the bed to find the bathroom. The blood on Sanji's legs and paws had bothered Zoro through the night but he hadn't been able to move, his muscles having stiffened in their attempt to heal.

"Dammit, where's the bathroom," he muttered, confused by the layout of the room Perona had put them in. He opened a door, only to find that it was the entrance to the hallway. Another door led him to the closet. Out of sheer exhaustion from standing up and walking around, he leaned against the wall…only to realize that it was a broken door to the bathroom as he fell on his ass.

He grunted in irritation and pain, hoping that he hadn't disturbed Sanji. A small whimper escaped the dog, but he was still asleep.

"Stupid door," he muttered, clutching Sanji's vulnerable form against his chest tightly. It took all of his concentration not to fall down again as he got up slowly, fighting the wave of dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him.

_Stupid blood loss…_

Putting Sanji down in the bathtub, Zoro cupped his large hands together and let the spout pour water into his makeshift mini-bucket. He slowly poured the water onto the small body, delicately washing away the caked blood to reveal a tight bandage.

So either Perona or Mihawk had taken care of him as well, just not as well. Probably because they weren't used to treating dogs.

After Sanji became thoroughly soaked in water, Zoro rubbed some soap onto his hands, washing the fur carefully when –

"Zoro…?"

Startled, he made a motion to grab his katana, nearly falling over in the process. His eyes widened as he stared at the golden retriever looking at him with grayish blue eyes. "Holy fuck, S-Sanji? Was that you?"

What the hell was going on? Why was Sanji_ talking_?

"It…hurts…" the dog rasped, coughing almost immediately after, hard enough that blood trickled down the side of his mouth. "Shit…"

"Don't talk," Zoro commanded gruffly. After quickly washing Sanji off in warm water, he pulled open all the drawers and the cabinets in a frantic search for a towel. After he finally found one, he wrapped Sanji in it and carried him back to the bed, trying to dry his fur without hurting him.

_That should be me._

His jaw clenched tightly.

"Are you…okay?" Sanji asked quietly, shivering.

"Shut up, stupid cook. You know it hurts to talk," Zoro responded, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

How could Sanji be worried about _him_ right now? Did he _not_ know what kind of situation he was in? He was turned into a _dog_ because of Zoro and Sanji was worried about _him_?

Zoro wanted to punch something. Hard.

"Keep this…secret…"

"What?" Zoro choked. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell the others," Sanji managed to say.

Zoro's teeth clamped down on his lip as he physically stopped himself from arguing. He understood, but it didn't mean he liked it. Sanji clearly didn't want the pity of the crew.

Once again, the cook meant to keep the pain to himself. To hide his weaknesses so no one could see him this way.

"Go back to sleep, question. I won't tell," Zoro muttered, looking away.

_Dammit, Sanji. Why do you make this so difficult…_

"Shitty marimo," Sanji breathed, eyelids closing slowly.

Zoro wordlessly began replacing the ruined bandages, tearing the clean parts of the blanket off to make new ones. He took Sanji's arm – though he wondered if that was the right term for a dog – and made sure to bind the shoulder area tightly. He had been hit by Shigan there, after all.

As inappropriate as it seemed, Zoro couldn't help but notice how cute Sanji had turned out to be. Without the blood and all the cuts, he would be so very…

_What the hell? Just patch him up already._

His fingers began shaking and Zoro mentally kicked himself.

"I'm glad you're okay…"

[~ * ~]

**Meanwhile…**

"They aren't here," Luffy said flatly, staring at the empty shoreline. "So I guess we search the town for them."

"I'm sure they're fine," Nami reassured him, putting a hand on his tense shoulder. "They're monsters, remember? Two of the strongest Straw Hats can't be defeated so easily."

The captain remained silent, chewing on his bottom lip. He eventually nodded, but the worry lingered on his face.

"Let's just ask around and see if-"

Usopp was interrupted by Chopper suddenly turning into his true reindeer form and leaping away on all fours, over the side of the ship to land easily.

"What's going on?" Franky called out.

"I'll be back, guys. Don't follow me!" Chopper said, before turning a corner and disappearing from sight.

"I wonder what Doctor-san is thinking…" Robin murmured, her blue eyes narrowed. "I'll look from here."

She closed her eyes, and the crew understood. She was going to use her body part network.

Usopp shuddered. Robin was undoubtedly a cool person, but her abilities sometimes freaked him out a little too much for comfort. "Come on, let's go."

Franky, as always, offered to stay with the ship as the rest of the crew got off Sunny to search. They caught sight of Chopper racing past, headed in a very specific direction.

"Let's go the other way," Luffy said, his voice turning his statement into a command. The others nodded and followed him in the opposite direction of the reindeer.

_I hope you find them…_

[~ * ~]

Chopper couldn't remember the last time he had run so desperately before. He couldn't tell where he was going, didn't know what was happening.

_Zoro…Sanji…you guys better be alright…to explain why the heck I smell your guys' blood so strongly!_

[~ * ~]

**Author's Note: **Whew! I'm not sure why it was so difficult to write in Zoro's perspective. Hope it made sense :P Tell me how you felt about it *hearts* I think this story _will_ be mostly in Sanji's POV.

**Why a Golden Retriever? **Other than the fact that Sanji is blond, I thought its description fit him really well. They "have an instinctive love of water" and their "intelligence makes them versatile, allowing them to fill a variety of roles". They have a "loyal and gentle temperament" and "possess friendly, eager-to-please demeanors" (well, Sanji _is_ that way towards women XD). Also they are "excellent surrogate mothers to different species". (towards a marimo, rubberman, reindeer, cyborg, skeleton…you get the idea *grin*) While a golden retriever is a lot more passive and biddable than Sanji is, I like to think that the super-cook is really a big softie at heart *larger grin* And one last point, I was really tempted to make him a fox…but…a yellow-haired fox didn't really satisfy me. Too over used, you know? Ah well, I hope that you guys weren't too disappointed XP

Source: Wiki. LOL.

*Melona = a Korean melon flavored popsicle style thing XD


	5. Insecurities

**Tangled**

* * *

_Chapter 5: Insecurities_

* * *

The world certainly seemed strange in black and white, but that was probably because he was so used to seeing everything in color, vivid and bright. Sanji grimaced. The grayscale vision was really the least of his problems even though it freaked the hell out of him.

He was a fucking _dog. _And every part of him _ached. _His throat had refused to work for a while until he could get used to his state, though he was certainly glad he could talk in the end. No other body part would listen to his commands, limbs still a little too weak to hold him up properly. The weirdest part, by far, was having a tail, which put weight on areas he never really thought about, namely his ass.

_Twitch._

"Someone's coming," Sanji warned, his floppy and rather sensitive ears picking up sounds he had never been able to. He wondered if being a dog meant that he'd have a short attention span.

The thudding was getting louder and louder, until even Zoro could hear it. The swordsman flinched, instinctively reaching towards Wado.

With a booming sound loud enough to wake the dead, the door burst open as a brown figure practically flew into the room, hooves flailing in the air as it crashed into the wall. It quickly regained balance and turned to face the two of them.

"Chopper?" Zoro asked, surprise visible on his face. "How…"

Chopper returned to his chibi form, looking exhausted but extremely concerned. "You guys, are you alright?"

Zoro said nothing as Chopper gasped, analyzing the half-naked sight of Zoro wrapped all over in gauze. A mumble of "stabs in both shoulders and abdomen, slice in side…must be sterilized, may need stitches…" could be heard in the dead silent room.

"What happened to you?" the little reindeer demanded, examination complete, immediately climbing into Zoro's lap to double check the bandages. "And why can't I see Sanji when he's in this room?"

_Shit, I forgot about Chopper. He's probably smelling my presence. Is that how he found us in the first place…_

Sanji stiffened, only to realize it caused him too much pain to actually do so. He bared his teeth. Damned muzzle. Just when he was about to try and hide himself under the covers, Zoro moved subtly to shield him from Chopper's view, back muscles tensed.

"Well, Sanji, what do you say?" Zoro asked quietly. Sanji tried not to be affected by the way he calmly said his name, as if it was normal. Which it wasn't.

"What?" Chopper sounded even more confused than before. "I still can't see him."

"We can't keep this from him," Sanji said finally, exhaling loudly in frustration. His ear jerked agitatedly, tail flipping upwards and spastically slapping down on the bed. "Shitty tail. I can't even control it properly."

"S-Sanji?" Chopper stuttered, voice coming out a whisper. "Zoro, what's going on?"

"Chopper, I can't really explain it very well. We got into kind of an accident, but this is what happened as a result," Zoro muttered, shifting completely out of the way and gesturing to Sanji's small form on the bed.

"Hi, Chopper," Sanji reluctantly murmured, nodding his head slightly.

He saw Chopper's face contort into an expression of utter shock.

"Sanji, you're…you're a _dog_. A pretty golden retriever," Chopper said, dumbfounded. "You're not…human…"

Sanji bristled, a growl emitting from his throat. Did that little toy just call him _pretty_? He calmed himself only with the thought that he supposed he had to be glad that he didn't turn out to be a poodle or a Chihuahua or something ridiculous like that.

"Some woman's Devil's Fruit power turned him into that," Zoro said quickly. "He couldn't help what he got turned into."

At Chopper's lack of response, Sanji decided to change the subject and wheezed, "Dr. Chopper, you mind helping us? We need your medical expertise."

As expected, Chopper turned a bright red, smiling brightly instantly. Surprisingly enough he didn't say anything about how they were all assholes and how he wasn't happy. He simply nodded. "Zoro, I need you to lie down and tell me everything. Maybe I'll be able to do something about Sanji's condition."

Sanji only paid partial attention to the marimo's explanation as he fought his fatigue. He was doing his best to cope with the massive physical change, but he was weak as fuck and just plain _tired._

Zoro's voice was a deep baritone, one that was soothing to his ears, gruff and emotionless as usual. With Chopper, he was friendly, approachable. With him, the moss ball was callous; they were rivals after all.

So he didn't know why he found himself admiring that steady, low-pitched sound that was slowly lulling him to sleep…

"…So can you keep it a secret?" Zoro's voice finally came into focus as Sanji snapped out of the wave of drowsiness threatening to overcome his consciousness completely. Maybe he had taken a brief nap. He didn't really know anymore. His eyes refused to open.

"Yeah. I won't tell anyone if that's what Sanji wants, but…" Chopper's voice sounded uncharacteristically sad.

"We'll have to lie to them," Zoro finished for him. "I know you don't want to. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Chopper said quietly. "I've never heard of Henshin Henshin no Mi, but I'm 99% sure that it's not permanent and it'll wear off on its own time, at least from what it looks like right now. I can't really tell you how long it'll take for you to become human again."

"That's better than nothing," Sanji interjected, hating his weak voice.

"Ah, you're awake now?"

He felt Chopper's clinical touches as the reindeer doctor worked carefully to help him as much as possible. A while later, he heard Chopper's sigh indicating that he was done.

"For now, we should return to the Sunny. Everyone is looking for you guys," Chopper said wearily, repacking the first-aid kit monstrosity he kept in his impossibly small bag. "I'll try my best to play along."

"Thanks," Sanji rasped.

Before he could comprehend what was going on, he felt Zoro's large hands span over what felt like his waist, picking him up gently. The momentary discomfort vanished as he found himself being _cuddled _by the shitty marimo, held in his arms as if he was a baby.

Zoro's touch…

His hand stroked the top of his head, rubbing softly behind his ears. Sanji had the strangest urge to groan. Just then, an errant finger brushed by his nether regions, making him yelp out in surprise.

"Sorry-"

"Oi, Chopper can carry me," Sanji said, immediately wincing at his idiocy. He not only sounded like a feeble fool but petty. Zoro would never touch him like that on purpose. He tried to ignore how hot his face felt and instead mumbled, "Shit, never mind."

"Ero-cook, you know you like it. You didn't have any problem with me so far."

He could already imagine the smirk on Zoro's face, though he couldn't tilt his head enough to actually see it.

"I wasn't conscious, asshole. You're into bestiality and that shit?" Sanji retorted.

Was that Zoro's heartbeat that boomed so close to him? It was almost distracting in its loudness, its steady rhythm, so much that it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. Zoro's presence was overwhelming, overpowering. But that definitely had more to do with the fact that he wasn't even a tenth of the swordsman's size anymore. That was all.

_Yeah. Right._

"What the hell do you take me for?" Zoro said, chest vibrating with the words near Sanji's fur.

"Don't talk," Chopper reprimanded both of them. "You might draw unwanted attention."

"And you don't, Mr. Talking Reindeer?" Zoro teased, making Chopper pout.

Their bickering and conversation continued until the three of them eventually arrived at the Thousand Sunny where they saw the crew anxiously sitting on the deck near the railings.

"Hey, everyone! They're back!" Luffy shouted, grinning maniacally at the sight of Zoro and Chopper.

"Where the hell were you?" Nami yelled, making a move to hit Zoro in the head, only to stop herself and blink, at a sudden loss for words. She looked at Zoro awkwardly and Sanji had the strongest urge to shout "Mellorine!" as if to assure her nothing was wrong. He clamped down hard on his jaw to prevent himself from saying anything. Old habits really did die hard.

"I think Navigator-san wants to ask where Cook-san might be, though she might not want to admit she's a little confused," Robin murmured, her hand cupping the side of her face in an interested fashion. "After all, I'm rather curious why he is not here as well. And that dog…"

Every member's eyes focused on Sanji, making him strangely nervous. He shot a look at Chopper, mentally begging him not to talk at all. Chopper seemed to understand his panic and made a motion like he was locking his lips. Sanji offered a small smile and nodded in thanks.

What a gamble it was, having complete faith in the stupid marimo.

"You guys trust the cook, right?" Zoro muttered gruffly and they all nodded reluctantly. He shrugged lightly, taking care not to move Sanji's body in any way. "He said he'd be back. He doesn't know when, but he'll return on his own. He specifically asked for us to leave without him."

Luffy stood still for such a long time that an uncomfortable silence settled over the ship. He finally nodded and the crew relaxed. "If that's really what he wants, we'll go. I believe that he'll find us."

Sanji let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Zoro certainly made things more realistic just by talking in his gruff tone. Maybe it was the fact that he was reliable, with his rock-like support and no-nonsense demeanor.

"And that dog…?" Robin asked softly.

"I found it on the street so beaten up it couldn't stand. It looked so pathetic that I couldn't stop myself from picking it up," Zoro said with a smirk and Sanji bit his arm in irritation. The damned moss head didn't have to put it like that. "I figured you guys wouldn't mind if I brought him along."

"It's so weird. It looks just like Sanji…" Luffy said, scratching his head. "Ah, it must be a mystery dog."

"How does that look anything like him? It's a golden retriever," Franky said matter-of-factly. "If curly cook bro was an animal, I bet he'd be a fox or something. Maybe a lion."

Robin chuckled then turned her attention back to Zoro. "So did you name it, Swordsman-san?"

Sanji snarled in warning. _You better not say something retarded-_

"Buttercup?" Zoro suggested, chuckling. "Rather cute, isn't it?"

_Asshole!_

His fur bristled as he saw Chopper and Luffy rolling on the ground, guffawing as if it was the funniest thing ever.

Shitty marimo.

"It doesn't seem to like that very much," Usopp laughed. "You know, it really is kind of like Sanji. I can't really explain it."

_But of course it's like me. Because it _is_ me._ Sanji sighed. _It might have been so much easier just to tell them…_

"Is it male or female?" Brook remarked.

"Male."

"Banana. Pineapple. Corn. Maybe mango-"

"Oi, we're not naming him after a fruit," Usopp said in disbelief, smacking Luffy lightly in the head. "Otherwise you'll eat it."

"Really?" Luffy asked, as if he was actually surprised.

"What if we name him Sanji?" Brook suggested. "It's not to replace Sanji-san or anything but it seems to fit him the best. Dog-san seems to have the same colored eyes as well."

Without thinking, Sanji nodded approvingly, only to have Nami giggle.

"The dog actually agreed," she laughed. "Isn't he a cutie?"

_Ah, Nami-swan, you would never say that to me normally_, Sanji thought wryly, though he didn't really mind. After all, his obsession with her was more of a joke than anything else.

"Wait, you guys, how is this going to work? I need a cook!" Luffy gasped, as if the thought just hit him. Most of the members buried their faces in their palms at their slow captain.

Every muscle in Sanji's body froze up, causing him pain he couldn't even register properly. He couldn't even fulfill his responsibilities as a part of this crew anymore, not in this body. He looked up slowly at Zoro who was staring back at him with concern.

_What do I do…_

"I can cook."

Sanji blinked, shocked at the words coming out of Zoro's mouth. _Oi, marimo, what are you getting yourself into?_

"You can?" Luffy asked, eyes shining. "I didn't know that!"

"Don't expect Sanji's level of cooking or anything," he muttered. Sanji tried not to smile at the compliment, but it seemed like Zoro noticed, quickly changing the subject with, "Well, captain, are we going to go or not?"

"Let's set sail!" Luffy shouted, laughing. He swung himself to his usual spot and the others dispersed to do their own things.

Naturally, Zoro walked up to the crow's nest where his gym was set up, along with Chopper who insisted he check up on them again. When the door was tightly closed behind him, he set Sanji down on a mat carefully.

"This is going to be difficult, love cook," Zoro mumbled, sprawling out on the floor, "and for you too, Chopper."

"I think it'll be fine on my part if I don't talk," Chopper said wryly, double checking his body. "Sanji, if you feel anything or if there are any side effects, come to me right away, okay?"

Sanji nodded. "I think I can move around a little now."

"Just in case, Zoro or I should be with you at all times," Chopper continued in his professional mode. "I don't know how we'll explain it to the crew if you suddenly change back or something. Even if you guys don't like it, you're going to have to deal with each other somehow."

"Understood, Doctor," Sanji murmured and the reindeer blushed.

"Well…you guys do your own thing. I'm going to go back to my room," Chopper said, opening the door and leaving.

Sanji stared around the room, unsure of what to do or say. To his regret, he couldn't admire the color of the sky or the ocean. Damned grayscale vision.

"Oi, what time is it?"

"Nearly dinnertime," Zoro responded, arms crossed behind his head.

"What was that about you being able to cook?"

"I can keep myself alive."

"That's hardly reassuring, marimo."

"You have recipes, right? I'll just try following one of them."

Sanji snorted. "You're going to have to try harder than your best if you want to keep up with _my_ recipes."

[~ * ~]

"Baked ling cod with lemon-garlic butter sauce…Question, you should get better names for your dishes."

"Don't make fun of me, damn you. Besides, I wouldn't be talking. Your nicknames are retarded."

Zoro had carried Sanji in his arms down to the kitchen to try and make dinner under his supervision. After all, who knew what the idiot would do to his precious kitchen knives?

"Follow the recipe exactly. If you need help with anything, make sure to ask me," Sanji demanded.

"Sure, sure…what the hell? Clam juice? We actually eat that stuff?"

"Just do it," Sanji ordered. "It's in a container in the fridge. And also we're going to have to use the whole fish, since my recipe makes enough for 4 normal people. Slice the fish into thick fillets."

He watched carefully as Zoro yanked the giant cod out of the refrigerator. Involuntarily, Sanji's mouth went dry, staring at the tanned muscles of the swordsman's arms flexing, the white shirt stretching tautly across his back.

What the hell?

"Oi, cook, I just slice it up?"

Sanji swallowed. There was no way he was even remotely attracted to this moss ball. No way. No _fucking_ way. Zoro was his _rival._ A _man_.

"Oi…"

"Yeah. Just cut it," Sanji finally replied, looking down at his feet abashedly. Scratch that. His paws.

Then he heard the metallic _shing! shing! _as the cod fell into perfectly equal pieces on the grilling pan. Sanji blinked at the sight of the fillets lined up perfectly for baking.

"How…" Sanji stared, shocked that the swordsman could actually cut something that wasn't a human body with such precision.

"I'm not completely useless in the kitchen," Zoro muttered, turning around. "Didn't I tell you that already?"

Was that a _blush_ Sanji just saw? No, he must be imagining things.

"Stick the fish into the oven while you prepare the sauce," Sanji said, wincing at how he sounded. The way he nagged was annoying even to his own ears. To his surprise, however, Zoro said nothing, getting out a large bowl and dumping things haphazardly into it after placing the pans of fish into the oven.

"You ungraceful brute," Sanji mumbled, watching him stir carefully.

"I added the right amounts, love cook. Isn't that all that matters?" Zoro grunted.

"That's why you're not a cook," Sanji sighed. "But I suppose that makes perfect sense."

"IT SMELLS SO GOOD!"

"You can't come in here, Luffy!" Sanji shouted as usual, before he realized with horror that he had forgotten his state of being. _SHIT!_

Luffy stuck his head inside the kitchen with a confused frown. "Did I just hear Sanji's voice? I could have sworn he just yelled at me like he always does."

"No," Zoro said flatly. "You're imagining things-"

"Wow, it really smells good," Luffy noted, already distracted. Sanji exhaled slowly in relief.

"Just following the dartboard brow's recipes," Zoro said, busying his hands by making rice. "Dinner's going to be simple. Don't expect too much, captain."

"I know. But you must be better than you say," Luffy chuckled, reluctantly leaving. "I'm looking forward to dinner!"

"That was close," Zoro said softly. "You sure you want to do this, cook?"

"I don't want them to see me like this," Sanji replied, unable to meet Zoro's intense gaze. "Hell, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want you to know either."

"Well, I'm glad I do."

Sanji's head shot up to stare at Zoro who was looking at him with such a burning, unidentifiable emotion that he nearly slipped off the counter.

"L-look after the cod," Sanji stuttered, breaking eye contact first. What was up with the shitty swordsman?

"Oh…it smells burnt," Zoro said suddenly, opening the oven only to reveal golden, crisp cod slices.

Holy shit, it was cooked _perfectly._ Even Sanji himself had trouble getting it to bake like that.

He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest…and not in a good way.

_You don't belong in this crew…_

_We don't need you…_

With a soft, humorless laugh, he jumped off the counter, feelings as if he was being smashed into bits as he landed harshly. He preferred the physical pain. Turns out that Luffy didn't even need another cook. Zoro was the strong first mate capable of taking care of the crew despite what it looked like most the time.

It was really true, then. Even if he didn't ever come back in his human form, it didn't matter.

The laughter got louder, fake to his own ears. Hollow.

"Cook…"

"You don't…ha…you don't need my nagging. The cod is coming along fantastically. Just…follow the directions. Spread the sauce liberally. Lots of rice for Luffy, of course. I think I'm just going to go sleep. Not hungry. Hope you guys have a good dinner. I don't feel that great. But you're fine on your own so, just keep going," Sanji babbled, pushing through the door.

"Sanji…"

Ignoring him, Sanji limped slowly towards the crow's nest, strangely comforted by the small space and the numerous weights. He was so damned pathetic.

Damn it.

The beautiful ocean was just a dull gray color, the sky only several shades lighter. At the feeling of hot wetness at his eyes, he smirked in self-derision as he swiped it away with his paw.

Why couldn't he have the same confidence that Luffy and Zoro had? Excluding Brook, who had just been added to their crew, everyone knew their place, was certain where they belonged. They didn't doubt anything, didn't torture themselves with awful thoughts that Sanji seemed to do to himself so much recently.

He was a mess.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself walking back to the kitchen where the entire crew minus himself was sitting down at the table. Pushing the door open just enough to enter, he sat down in a corner and watched them eat.

"Zoro, this is so GOOD! It tastes just like Sanji's cooking! Shishishi~"

"You've outdone yourself, Swordsman-san."

"Zoro-san, my stomach can't handle your delicious food…though I don't have a stomach!"

"Sanji would be proud of you, seriously."

"Even_ I_ can't find anything to complain about."

"SUPER!"

Only Chopper remained silent as the crew praised Zoro. Sanji smiled a little, glad that Zoro managed to feed them well. At least the marimo was doing something right.

"My cooking doesn't even compare," Zoro said so seriously that the crew stared at him. Sanji frowned. What was he up to?

"What are you talking about?" Nami asked blankly. "It tastes almost exactly the same. In fact-"

Sanji's smile turned tight. The words "it tastes better" hung in the air, unsaid but just as audible as if she said it aloud. From what it looked like, it seemed inevitable that it would be better. Zoro had beaten him in the one area that he was confident in. He wasn't a sore loser, but he had to admit that it hurt.

"Guys, I'm going to…uh…use the bathroom," Chopper said suddenly, leaving the kitchen. Sanji sighed. It seemed like the reindeer was taking it even harder than he himself was. He followed quietly, spotting Chopper on the main deck, arms wrapped around his knees.

"Sanji, I'm so sorry."

The words of pity seemed to stick themselves physically into his flesh, but Sanji swallowed the rude words he would have normally said at the sight of the reindeer's tears. Chopper was more sensitive to these kinds of things and Sanji understood that he meant no harm.

Sanji wrapped himself around Chopper's small chibi form. "I'm fine."

"But I want you to know that none of us think you're replaceable!" Chopper said vehemently. "It hurts to see you like that, did you know? And I can't do anything about it, even though I'm the doctor! I can't turn you back…"

"How is that your fault?" Sanji asked softly. "Idiot, just go back and eat. I'm fine, really. Hurry up, or they'll get worried about you."

Chopper wiped his tears and looked at him. "Are you sure?"

"You really are an idiot, aren't you? How many times do I have to say I'm okay for you to believe me? Get going, emergency supply food."

With a small smile, Chopper finally got up and walked back into the kitchen to sit back down at the table.

_I'm fine…_

[~ * ~]

After dinner, Sanji finally mustered up the mental strength to go back into the kitchen. Zoro was doing the dishes, elbows deep in soapy water.

"You must be hungry."

"You heard me come in, huh," Sanji mumbled. "I just wanted to try your food."

Zoro washed his hands and set down a plate for him on the ground, the cod still steaming.

"I managed to keep it warm for you," Zoro shrugged, returning to finish the chore.

The fish was cut up into small chunks for Sanji's comfort. He flushed with embarrassment. Fuck, he really was a dog. And that meant he had to eat like one, too. He slowly took a piece with his teeth and ate it.

Shit. It was delicious. Better than he could ever make it.

"Sorry, I kind of messed up on the sauce, all the proportions and whatnot," Zoro muttered. "It's not going to taste like yours exactly-"

"It's good. Don't worry about it," Sanji said quietly. He chuckled dryly. "Remind me again why you aren't the cook-"

"You're the cook, asshole. Or have you forgotten already?" Zoro sounded…angry?

"Oi, why can't I even compliment you without getting insulted?"

"It wouldn't kill you to be confident of your own abilities."

Sanji blinked.

"I'm a swordsman. My ambition is to be the best _swordsman._ Our path may be the same but our goals are different. We'll find the answer to it somehow along with Luffy and the others. I'm not the cook, I'm not interested in being the cook, and my dreams have nothing to do with cooking. You think that I do this better than you? I don't even like cooking. The only reason I offered was so you could help me with it." Zoro stopped himself so suddenly that Sanji wondered if he had bitten his tongue or something.

But it was surprising how attentive the swordsman really was. Sanji looked up at his tall, tense figure, wondering what really went on inside that moss head.

He felt warmth spread from the soles of his paws to his head to the end of his tail. Zoro wanted him to help with cooking?

"I-idiot," Sanji stammered.

"I'm capable of saying cool things once in a while," Zoro said lightly. Sanji growled in response, laughing. He turned his attention back to his plate and ate as cleanly as he could.

_Grumble._

Sanji stared at Zoro, who had been watching him eat, turn slightly red. His eyes narrowed, observing Zoro's reaction. He hadn't…he couldn't have possibly-!

"This wasn't your dinner, was it?"

"Well, Luffy ate your portion, so…" Zoro shrugged.

"You're such an idiot," Sanji barked, feeling his own face turn hot. This shitty marimo…!

"You wanna keep watch with me tonight?" Zoro asked quickly as if he was anxious to change the subject.

Sanji grinned. "Who'd want to do that with you?"

"You do, obviously," Zoro smirked, picking him up by the waist again to snuggle him against his broad chest, capturing him in with his arms. His large, calloused hands absentmindedly stroked his golden fur.

"Shitty swordsman, what the hell are you doing?" Sanji growled, unable to fight the urge to push his head into Zoro's hand. _Goddamn. This is all because I'm a dog. Dogs like being petted, right?_

"According to the story we told the crew, you're my pet. Right, curly?" Zoro laughed. "You have to stay with me."

A shiver traveled down Sanji's spine. Dear Roger, Zoro couldn't possibly know how weird that sounded.

"I don't remember that but…F-fine," Sanji stuttered. Dammit. Was he going to let every little thing affect him like that?

Zoro carried him up to the crow's nest, setting him down on a mat on the floor.

"How many times am I going to end up on this mat…" Sanji muttered as Zoro settled down against the railings serving as the wall.

"It's better than the metal carpet. Don't complain."

"Tch." Sanji made a face.

"You feeling alright?"

"Just fine. And you?" Sanji replied sarcastically.

"Fine. By the way, cook, if you feel too tired to stay awake, go to sleep."

"What are you implying?" Sanji rasped. "That I can't stay up?"

Zoro chuckled. "Maybe."

"Asshole."

"Dartboard brow…speaking of which, I wonder why you don't have curly eyebrows as a dog."

"Don't ask me," Sanji shrugged, stretching out on the mat. "But if I had those eyebrows, I couldn't possibly keep my identity a secret. Unfortunate trademark."

"Huh. Well, good luck staying awake, Prince."

"That sounds wrong coming from you. Plus, I stay awake more often than you do, alcoholic."

"Whatever."

Sanji found himself smiling.

[~ * ~]

**Disclaimer: **Credit goes to SimplyRecipesdotcom for the Baking Ling Cod recipe and food name. Used only for the purposes of this story, not to make a profit or anything O.O

**Author's Note: **Ah, this chapter looks a lot longer than it actually is because of all the dialogue. And wow, I made Sanji well enough to within a single day, sorry about that! Then again, they all have superhuman recovery powers…

Dear readers, is the relationship moving too fast? I can't really tell XD

Well, the next chapter is going to have some smutty scenes (I think). How will that work? You'll just have to see…*cough* no bestiality *cough*


	6. Strange Dreams and True Feelings

**Author's Note: **I am so awed that my story has reached 50 reviews! Thank you all so much! XD

**Tangled**

* * *

_Chapter 6: Strange Dreams and True Feelings_

* * *

Jump. Thud.

_So close…_

Jump. Thud.

_Was I really that tall when I was a human?_

Jump. Thud.

_Damned fridge._

"Dartboard brow, what the hell is your problem?"

Startled, Sanji jumped backwards only to crash straight into the wall of the kitchen adjacent to the refrigerator. He cursed under his breath, wincing at the subsequent throb in his tail. He was being way too obvious about all this. When he finally looked up to face Zoro, his eyes met the man's intensely dark ones, which only served to fluster him more. Why did it feel like he had just been caught with a hand – or paw – in the cookie jar or something? This was _his _kitchen, _his _refrigerator, though maybe none of that was really his anymore.

Gritting his teeth, Sanji refused to back down, staring back boldly and hoping to some deity out there that the heat in his face didn't actually show. "N-nothing. No problem. I'm totally fine."

Shit. He was acting like a little girl trying to confess to her first childhood love or something. He shuddered, disturbed by the mental image of him as a female.

Wait, why the hell did _he _have to be the female? If anyone should be the female, it should be Zoro-

He shivered. That was so goddamned disturbing. All of this was. As always, he blamed his scattered and lack of concentration on the fact that he was a dog.

Yeah. Totally.

"You call this nothing? You just smashed into the wall like an idiot."

"It's really nothing," Sanji said, vehemently this time, tail swishing around in agitation. If he had to be truthful, though...

No. He wasn't going to think about it. Just thinking about it made him want to crawl out of his skin.

"You've been acting weird since the night we were on watch duty together. You fell asleep, woke up, freaked out, and pretty much refused to talk to me again," Zoro sighed, face still as impassive as always, taking a seat next to him. "Look, I know we're rivals and all, and we pretty much hate each other's' guts, but you were the one who wanted to keep all of this a secret. Are you that bothered that you have to spend time with me-"

"It's not that. Don't worry about it. It's got nothing to do with you," Sanji said quickly, laughing so heartily that it couldn't possibly be real. He winced at Zoro's raised eyebrow. "I'm serious."

But that was the problem. It had _everything_ to do with him, as unfortunate as that was. And just why the hell did Zoro have to be up at this hour anyway? It was probably somewhere around four in the morning, but that was just his best guess. Telling the time was harder with grayscale vision but he liked to think that he was finally getting used to being a dog.

"Do you think I'm retarded, stupid cook? You've been outright avoiding me for like two weeks now. Hell, you even moved the mat from the crow's nest down to the deck to sleep there instead. What's wrong this time?"

Without answering, Sanji laid down on the ground, feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. He couldn't actually sleep much, but he didn't want anyone to be worried about him, so he stretched out on the deck to pretend. Of course, he knew Zoro was concerned because they were nakama, which was why the situation was so horrifying that he couldn't face the moss ball properly anymore. Sanji tried to put his fingers to his temples out of habit, only succeeding in rubbing his face with a paw like some demented cat. He blatantly ignored the frown forming between Zoro's brows.

"Look, I'm just having some bad dreams and it's just making me all nervous, that's all," Sanji finally admitted. A watered down version of the truth, but it was the truth nonetheless.

"Did you go talk to Chopper? He did tell you that you needed to talk to him if something came up."

Sanji choked. Like he would destroy the poor reindeer's innocent mind so cruelly. "It's nothing medical. Besides, Chopper's always busy. He has more important stuff to take care of-"

"You don't even know what Chopper's feeling right now, do you?" Zoro asked quietly, eyes closing. "Sanji, you barely eat, you don't spend time with anyone, and you're worrying the hell out of the little guy. You're all he's trying to take care of."

A stifling silence filled the room as Sanji couldn't find the right words to say. Damn, sometimes the lump of muscle really hit where it hurt. It wasn't like he didn't know that Chopper was constantly trying to find some sort of solution to this messed up situation, asking him to take one concoction after another in an attempt to reverse the Devil Fruit's effects. And he knew how much it hurt Chopper to experiment on him, since making a mistake could be disastrous. Two weeks of being a dog might have been awful for him, but it might have even been worse for the little reindeer, who now had big, dark bags under his eyes. Yeah, he definitely knew what was going on.

"Oi, Sanji, talk to me."

Hmph. Were they on a first name basis now?

"It's not so easy to say out loud, stupid marimo," Sanji muttered, curling up on the floor and scratching absentmindedly at his ear. "I'm just a little concerned that I'll blurt out something stupid if I'm around them. You know, yell out some insult or other to Luffy, maybe Usopp, or break out in compliments for Nami-san or something. And how much do you expect a dog to eat anyway?"

"More than you do now," Zoro answered flatly, opening one eye to look at him lazily.

"I eat enough. Besides, I never waste food-"

Grumble.

Shit, he had almost forgotten the reason why he was in here in the first place. He hadn't realized how much he had become used to eating alone in the morning. Plus, as a dog, he preferred watching the crew eat and listening to their conversations instead, which meant he often forgot to eat at the designated time. His plate was usually left alone, covered and well-kept, on the ground until he felt like eating, but today he had seen Robin-chan pick his leftovers up to refrigerate it.

Hence the reason he had been jumping around like a maniac at four in the morning, trying hard to make as little noise as possible, to open the damned refrigerator. Turns out he couldn't even reach the handle. He wondered why Robin-chan had to be so kind that she would make it inaccessible.

"You're hungry."

"Shut up," Sanji said, feeling his face flush. "I've been taking care of myself just fine, but today…"

"I'll make you something." Zoro stood up abruptly. He pulled the black, thick, recipe notebook out of the drawer and smirked, immediately getting started on something. "Where do you keep sage and parsley again?"

"Herbs and spices cabinet, second shelf from bottom up, somewhere in the back," Sanji replied, slightly confused. "What are you making?"

Zoro began yanking all sorts of things out of the refrigerator and the pantry in search of ingredients. Sanji sighed at the thought of having to help him put everything back later.

"What are you afraid of?"

Sanji stiffened, taken aback. "Oi, it's not polite answering a question with another question."

After what seemed like an hour of silence, Zoro mumbled, "Would it really be such a bad thing if the crew were to know, I wonder."

Sanji's jaw clenched of its own accord. He glared at the straight postured swordsman's head as if he could burn holes through that thick, green – though to him it was gray now – skull. "You've seen how they treat me now. For the past couple of weeks, I've dealt with smothering, babying, cuddling…which is funny, since they never did that with Chopper and he's much cuter than I am. They make me play fetch and do everything that they think a dog should do. Not that I mind being hugged by Nami-san and Robin-chan…but I don't need Luffy, Usopp, Brook, or Franky to constantly pet me and shit. How do you think they'll treat me knowing that Sanji the cook, their nakama, is stuck in a dog's body?! They'll not only pity me but utterly humiliate me!"

Zoro began pouring something out carefully on to a plate in little clumps so Sanji could take easy bites.

Wait, this smell…

"Tagliatelle with chestnuts and sage…?" His eyes narrowed. "You put something else in there."

"Don't change the subject." Zoro turned around to set the plate down on the ground. Sanji sniffed at it, immediately picking out the scent.

"B-bacon? How the hell did you know that?" Sanji twitched in shock and disbelief. Unless Zoro was an absolute genius in cooking, there would have been no way he would have known, since Sanji hadn't written that suggestion down. He had been too hungry for that.

A slight change in the gray tone of Zoro's cheeks made Sanji choke. Was the idiot _blushing?_

"Don't change the subject," Zoro repeated, sitting down again. "I'm seriously asking you. Would it bother you that much if they find it funny for a little bit? You might think that you might be made fun of, which is most likely to happen, but they're more than a little worried about you. Wouldn't it be better to let them know you're safe and on this ship, rather than for them to think that you're out there somewhere trying to get back to us?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Sanji took a quick bite of the pasta, not really able to taste much. He only knew that Zoro had, once again, recreated a recipe and made it better effortlessly. He sighed.

There were some things that could be said out loud, but some things just had to be kept to oneself. Sure, he didn't want the crew to poke fun at him or pity him or try to baby him any more than they were already. But that was hardly the real reason.

He had become a dog to protect Zoro. Or perhaps it was better to say it the other way around. In any case, he had tried his best to defend a nakama and he didn't regret it. Even if it was uncomfortable living as a dog and there were a lot of things he wasn't used to, he had easily accepted how the situation had ended up. Two weeks had gone by with no unfortunate incident and he was grateful…

But in his state, he couldn't possibly help any of them out if the Marines or some other pirates were to attack. These two weeks of peace were a rarity, considering how they had quickly come across so many different enemies throughout their "adventure", as Luffy called it. If the crew found out that the little puppy that had joined them temporarily was actually Sanji, they would try to protect him, knowing that he couldn't possibly defend himself. They all had their own battles to fight. Maybe he couldn't help the Straw Hats out like he always did, but he could at least stop himself from getting in the way.

After all, ignorance was bliss. And sometimes it could keep you alive. This was the only way he knew how to help, even if he was hurting them in the process. The lesser of two evils. At least, he wanted to convince himself that he wasn't just being a stubborn ass.

"Oi, Sanji. Snap out of it."

At the voice suddenly intruding into his thoughts, Sanji tripped over his own paw and smashed his face into the pasta. He cursed, the profanity muffled by the noodles. "Whuk".

Zoro laughed, the tension between them dissipating. Sanji growled, standing back up properly. While he had gotten used to living as a dog, the difference in the sense of balance was still a little strange for him. His hind legs were too short in comparison to how long his legs used to be and he had to put more of a strain on his front legs. His arms were by no means weak normally, but he had never had to carry around the bulk of his weight all day on them. Which meant that his paws were often sore by the end of the day as well.

"I didn't know you liked the pasta that much," Zoro chuckled, getting up and pouring a glass of water. He grabbed a bunch of napkins and sat back down, snickering.

"Shut up," Sanji said, managing to flick off most of the noodles with a paw. "A dog uses completely different muscles than humans do, asshole."

"Mmhmm…though by now, I would think you could have figured that all out."

Sanji snarled in warning when Zoro suddenly grabbed him, scrubbing at his face with a wet napkin. He resisted the urge to squirm and protest.

"Ow. Quit trying to rip the fur off my face," Sanji said flatly, not really fighting him despite the fact that he was feeling completely uncomfortable. Involuntarily, he flinched, hating that he constantly let his dreams interfere with reality.

Zoro's hand slowed, rubbing the pasta sauce away more gently and more clinically. "I got that you've got your own reasons for keeping it a secret. I'll just trust that what you're thinking is logical and I won't ask you about it again. Just stop randomly avoiding me or any of the other crewmembers. You're probably worrying them even more because you act like such a lonely dog. Even if you don't like it, just play with them. Especially Luffy."

"Fine, fine," Sanji muttered, hoping he wasn't blushing. Back to that topic, were they? There was really no one he could talk to about those strange-as-fuck dreams he'd been having.

Zoro let go of him and he finished the pasta quickly, slurping it messily and horrifying himself with his awful manners. But anything was fine so long as he didn't have to look at the moss head, even if that meant he had to eat like an animal. Which he supposed he really was now. "Thanks for the food."

"It's your recipe, not mine." Zoro shrugged. "You should try to get some more sleep."

"Speak for yourself," Sanji retorted, trotting out of the kitchen anyway. He wasn't in the mood to help Zoro clean up the mess he always made with the ingredients.

He plopped down on to his usual mat and stared at the graying sky, the black ocean, the fluffy yet rather depressing clouds. The sun shone, but he felt the warmth more than he saw its brightness.

That dream…

[~ * ~]

**(A/N: **Just so you won't be confused, this **'** indicates Sanji's thoughts. **"** indicates actual conversation**)**

'_Where am I?'_

_The room was dark. It almost looked like the crow's nest in terms of size, except that there was none of the familiar panoramic view of the ocean or the sky. Just a pitch black, enclosed room. No door. The metal carpet and wooden flooring had been replaced by a soft, plush carpet. He was leaning against the wall, sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him._

'_Wait, what the fuck is going on? Am I dreaming? This better not be one of those dreams…'_

_He looked down at himself to see that he had turned back into a human. And…he was naked? Why didn't he feel the pain that he had felt when Hideko had turned him into a dog? Did pain not apply when transforming back? He doubted it. He must be dreaming. Besides, he couldn't possibly see himself without light, yet here was, clearly able to observe everything without it._

"_Sanji…loosen up. Relax. Trust me."_

_His eyes widened to see Zoro's face suddenly appear right in front of his, the usually tense, narrowed eyes half-lidded with something that could only be called lust. The soft baritone was more gravelly than usual as he whispered in Sanji's ear, the sound like liquid honey, tempting him to succumb to his seduction. Sanji shuddered, his hips bucking upwards involuntarily. _

_Seduction?!_

"_I'll make this enjoyable, don't worry."_

'_No, no, no! This is SO wrong! Huh? Why can't I talk? What the fuck? My mouth is refusing to cooperate! Zoro, stop! OI!'_

_He only moaned as Zoro's lips trailed a blazing path from his ear to his chest, tongue darting out to lick, to taste, leaving behind reddish-purple marks as he sucked the tender flesh hard. Zoro continued until skilled mouth found his nipple, teasing, driving him utterly insane, tongue flicking over the hardened tip, teeth nibbling at the sensitive skin. A hand drifted lower, lower, until it hovered near Sanji's erection. He could feel the warmth radiating from Zoro's large hand, and his hips arched, seeking that intense heat, wanting to feel Zoro's skin against his._

"_You taste so sweet."_

_At that, Sanji felt a flush creep into his cheeks. It was obvious that even if he mentally knew what was going on and wanted to stop, the physical urges of his body refused to deny itself the pleasure Zoro was willing to give._

_He shuddered._

"_Adorable."_

_He wanted to protest, but Zoro finally stroked his throbbing member, and he whimpered, hands instinctively clutching the short green hair, arms wrapping around the thick neck. Another groan escaped him as Zoro began pumping his member harder, the delicious, sinful friction threatening to overwhelm him. Zoro's touch was indescribable, amazing, utterly...wrong, yet so right. Long fingers wrapped around Sanji's thickness, teasing, clutching, rubbing. And when a nail lightly raked across his length, Sanji trembled with the unbelievable pleasure, releasing another moan._

"_Shit, Sanji, you have no idea how sexy you are."_

_Zoro carefully maneuvered him so he was pinned to the ground by the heavier man's weight. He leaned down, pressing his lips firmly against Sanji's and coaxing them open. Sanji parted his lips and Zoro's tongue immediately delved deeper into his mouth as he took control, establishing dominance, devouring him. Both of the swordsman's hands were occupied, one still tightly gripping Sanji's leaking erection, the other pinching a swollen nipple._

"_Come, Sanji."_

_The hand gripped infinitesimally harder, pumped the slightest bit faster._

"_Come, Sanji."_

_Sanji trembled as he neared that peak. Zoro grinned against his lips._

"_Come, Sanji…"_

[~ * ~]

"ARGHHH!"

Sanji's eyes flew open as he felt the most awkward thing ever down below in the nether regions. For about the twenty billionth time.

Holy fuck, had he just had that dream, _again_? How did his unconscious self never know that it was going to happen?

He breathed in and out, calming himself. He must have dozed off on the deck. With what felt like bile in his mouth, Sanji got up and tried to walk off the strange feeling. He'd been having variations of this dream for the last two weeks, almost every time he fell asleep. Was it such a surprise that he didn't want to see Zoro at all? He didn't think so. He shuddered, just thinking about how horrifying all of this was. If this had happened to him when he was a human, he would have probably had a wet dream. Except dogs didn't work that way, and so he was left feeling extremely uncomfortable with no real way to fix his situation. He didn't know how to relieve the pressure, so he often ended up trying a lot of random things until he settled back down.

Actually, what was even more terrifying was that in his dream, he seemed to really like what Zoro did to him, despite the fact that they were both guys and that he loved woman more than pretty much anything else in the world. He had _never _had these kinds of dreams so intensely before _ever._ Not even with women. It was eerie how he could remember details that he shouldn't know at all in the first place. And he was talking about his _nakama_ here! The one that insults him, competes with him, fights him, argues with him. His _rival._

Which was why it was so shocking. He didn't know how to deal with it. It wasn't like he could really tell Chopper about it, or anyone else for that matter, least of all Zoro himself. He shocked himself with his strange and vivid dreams, so it only seemed logical that he had to figure this one out by himself.

Shit.

Well, maybe it was normal for dogs to want sex all day. After all, dreams reflected subconscious desires, right? Maybe his dog body sought sex but his mind was strong enough to completely suppress these urges when he was fully in control, which meant he had to stay awake. When he was asleep, though…

But why the hell did it have to be Zoro of all people?

That was just too disturbing to think about. He absolutely refused to think about that any further.

"Hey Puppy-Sanji!"

Sanji sighed, turning around and letting himself be petted by none other than Luffy. The idiot captain really had the worst timing ever. But Zoro _did _say to spend more time with the crew so…

At least the youth effectively fixed his _problem._ Maybe a distraction from his crazy thoughts would be a good thing.

"You wanna sit with me? Pretty soon, me and Usopp are going to play a game together, since I'm getting bored."

Sanji barked softly, putting in some effort in an attempt to communicate wordlessly. To his surprise, Luffy plopped down on the deck and sighed.

"Puppy-Sanji, to tell you the truth, I'm not feeling too great today. Do you know want to know why?" Luffy murmured quietly. The corners of the wide lips jerked downwards as he stretched out his hand to pet Sanji on the head again. "Even if you don't, I'm going to tell you. Because I can't really talk to anyone very well anyway. And you won't judge me, right? You know…or maybe you don't…I'm normally really excited when we see the next island and I wanna get there as fast as possible and explore, but…this time, things are different. And I hate it, because I brought this on myself."

Luffy's hands were clammy, rubbing his fur the wrong way. And yet, there was something strangely comforting in the terrible stroking. Sanji was utterly perplexed by his behavior, by his uncharacteristic discontent. The captain stayed unnaturally silent, watching him so closely that he could have sworn Luffy was seeing straight through him.

"Why does it feel like you actually understand me?" Luffy mumbled at last. "You must be a very smart dog."

Sanji grinned at that and Luffy chuckled.

"You made me feel much better, Puppy-Sanji. Thanks a lot." The trademark grin on his face again as he shouted, "USOPP! LET'S PLAY!"

Argh, the bastard clearly had no idea how sensitive his ears were. But more than that…

Did the idiot captain actually miss him? Sanji snorted at the ridiculous thought. Like that would ever happen. Luffy obviously missed the fact that he fed him almost unconditionally, since Zoro didn't. But it was a little strange seeing Luffy act this way, more serious than usual and almost genuinely upset.

Maybe Sanji could afford to be selfish and hope that Luffy cared about him as a person, not because of a profession.

"Oi, try to think of the puppy for a second, will you? You're yelling so loud you probably burst both his eardrums," Usopp said wearily, walking towards them. Sanji was grateful for the long nosed man's consideration and chuckled lightly under his breath. "How do you have so much energy in the morning?"

"It's almost lunchtime." Luffy laughed.

"What ever happened to breakfast?"

"Zoro said he had to go work out or he wouldn't cook at all today. Man, he's so strict with the whole three meals a day thing, no snacks," Luffy whined, scratching Sanji behind the ears. "And Franky built Zoro a lock for the refrigerator that I don't know the code for."

"I don't know how to buy groceries." At the deep voice, Sanji flinched. The subject of his unbelievable dream sat down on the deck and leaned his head against his hands on the railings. "I'm just trying to make the food last as long as possible. Plus, it doesn't seem like we're going to arrive at an island any time soon."

Luffy's smile all of a sudden seemed a little too forced. "Hey, Usopp! Why don't we try to paint that large rock thing over there? I'll use my fists and you can shoot paintballs or something."

"Huh? Oh, okay. I'll bring some paint." Usopp ran back to his room to find some.

Zoro sighed. "Luffy-"

"We should have arrived at the next island more than a week ago. I saw it. I told Nami not to go. I told her to change our route. And she agreed with me. I think most of our crew would agree, too. We can't continue our adventure without him," Luffy interrupted, his hat shielding his eyes. "I want him to come back soon. It took us some effort to get Robin back and for Usopp to apologize when they both decided to leave our crew, but Sanji…I think I made the wrong choice. I should never have said to leave. It feels pretty awful. We should have waited there. Nami's trying her best to keep us going in circles so we don't have to go to the island yet. Nothing feels right without him. So we're waiting now."

Sanji's jaw dropped open. Zoro looked at him pointedly, shrugging.

It seemed like the captain really _did_ need him, as a nakama, not just a cook. But why was that? It wasn't like he played around with Luffy or particularly did anything to earn his admiration or spent any personal time with him. Why did Luffy care? Then again, if it was the other way around, it would be just as inexplicable why Sanji considered Luffy to be such a close nakama.

Was he all wrong in thinking that he was alone? He must have been taking his nightmare too seriously. They were all such close friends that they were more like family than anything else. And he had probably just been blind to, at least, the captain's feelings, if not the whole crew's.

A warm feeling spread through his chest and Sanji couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"You see, now, cook? You were never alone," Zoro leaned down to murmur into his ear.

He stiffened involuntarily. Nice, emotional feelings aside, Zoro was too close for comfort. But he had promised not to avoid anyone anymore, so he simply nodded.

"Here's the paint," Usopp said loudly.

"Okay. Let's go!" Luffy dipped a fist into the bucket of paint and shouted, "Gomu gomu no pistol!"

Luffy's arm stretched all the way to the random rock-like structure off in the distance, leaving a large white mark on the thing before his arm began to retract. Already tired due to the lack of breakfast, he sat back down the deck. "I don't feel like doing this anymore."

"Oi, oi, oi." Usopp made a face. "You're being really indecisive these days."

Sanji's eyes widened as Luffy leaned back quickly against the railings. He tried to bark in warning, but it was too late. Luffy's weight shoved his smaller one off the ship as he slipped through the railings, landing hard into the water, faster than he could let out a sound.

[~ * ~]

The water pulled down at his fur, lovingly, agonizingly, harshly. He kicked as hard as he could, but all he saw was the shimmery light gray sun shine against the darker water.

_So close, goddammit._

Air…

Weren't golden retrievers supposed to swim well? That meant nothing unless he knew what he was doing, he supposed. He usually kicked in the water, creating enough force to propel himself. But with these short, stumpy legs, he could do little but try to paddle. And that wasn't working very well.

If he were to die here, though, he wouldn't mind. He was unreasonably happy at Luffy's true feelings. Knowing that he was needed…

What strange thoughts. He wouldn't, couldn't, possibly die here. It was just the ocean, the ocean that he loved since he was little.

But he kept sinking.

Would anyone come to save him? Would _Zoro_?

More strange thoughts.

The light got farther and farther away as he continued falling slowly, despite the furious kicks. Maybe he was making it worse for himself.

Fuck it. If he could swim as a human, why the hell he couldn't he swim as a dog?

A last breath tore out of his lungs as his vision began to blur.

Not enough oxygen.

Suddenly, he saw something like a hand reach out towards him. The last thing he felt was a pair of arms wrapping around him tightly before he passed out.

[~ * ~]

**Author's Note: **That's right! A handjob…? And only very shortly in his dream too XD Ugh, I hope it wasn't too terribly written. This chapter was kind of difficult to write. By that, I mean really difficult, since it took me like a week to write, which is so much slower than usual! So be kind please, if you decide to leave me a lovely review...Anyway…

My very kind reader **Reviews to Master** pointed out that time-wise (maybe not chapter-wise) the relationship is moving a tad too fast. As a result, there was a bit of a "time-skip", so I hope you guys weren't too put off by it or anything. It's still going to be somewhat slow paced (though I don't know what to say about this chapter)…so if you're interested in a faster, more intense romance, I suggest you check out my other fic, _A Second Chance_ (shameless self-promotion, I'm sorry T.T)

Seriously though, thanks for reading and reviewing and favoriting and following. I love you all!


	7. Nurse Marimo and an Intrigued Woman

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! I think I'm irritating everyone with the PM's, so I'm just taking the space/time here to tell you how grateful I am. You all are the reason why I can bring myself to write *hearts*

~Reviews to Master-chan, x. summergrey .x-chan, KrazyKoneko-chan, 000LuvYaoi000-chan, Islet-Sharrae-chan, StrawHatsXD-chan, Stubbe-chan, bobonbon-chan, writer-xanthangummy-chan, Stray Neko-chan, eternal-anime-chan, and BrevityGravity-chan! Whew! Welcome to my story, newcomers, and thank you all for enjoying it!

On to the story!

**Warning:** Ah…well, it might get fluffy. I really wanted to get Zoro's POV in after his scene with Sanji in the kitchen. *grins* I'm updating a little late but forgive me? *winning smile*

After all the angst in Chapter 2 of A Second Chance, I couldn't take it anymore, so…this is the result XD

Enjoy~

**Tangled**

* * *

_Chapter 7: Nurse Marimo and an Intrigued Woman_

* * *

**A little earlier…**

_N-nothing. No problem. I'm totally fine_

_It's really nothing._

_It's not that. Don't worry about it. It's got nothing to do with you._

Zoro didn't bother trying to reorganize everything he had shuffled around in his haste to cook and picked up the plate from the ground instead, letting out a frustrated sigh. He shouldn't be this worried about the stubborn-as-an-ass cook. Clucking his tongue, he began doing the dishes. If he had to be honest, it was admirable how much Sanji tried to keep his pride intact as a dog, trying to remain independent regardless of the circumstances.

Just seeing the cook in such a form made him…

His eye twitched. He would never tell the crew, but he was one of _those_ people, the kind where they simply couldn't leave dogs alone. Now that both of them were healed and feeling normal again, it became clear to Zoro that Sanji was just too damned _cute _as a dog, with those big, unusual gray-blue eyes, shiny golden fur, and those fluffy ears…how could anyone _not_ want to take care of him? Every time he caught sight of the puppy-Sanji, he wanted grab him and keep him in his arms the whole day. When he had pawed at his face in agitation earlier, Zoro had been unbelievably tempted to _coo_ at the sight. It had been hard enough when Chopper had entered their crew but, now, acting masculine and unaffected was nearly impossible.

He frowned. Sanji was still keeping his thoughts and fears to himself, as expected, refusing to talk to Chopper about anything. Was it really that difficult for the cook to just lean on someone once in a while? Zoro couldn't understand. He simply depended on the crew to help him and the crew in turn needed him, his ability to fight. They all had their own strengths and weaknesses, which was why they traveled together, covering for each other, picking each other up. Zoro had brutal strength, he knew, but where would he be without his friends? The only reason he had become so powerful was because he was with them, the adventures constantly making all of them stronger, more experienced. If Sanji continued to isolate himself like that, the crew could potentially fall apart, the way it almost had when Usopp and Luffy fought over the Going Merry. Now that Zoro really thought about it, it confused him that Sanji couldn't see the parallel between himself and Usopp.

He began wiping the floor where Sanji had made a mess of himself, planting his face into the pasta. He swiped up the excess sauce that had splattered all over the place.

_B-bacon? How the hell did you know that?_

Zoro felt an uncomfortable heat prickle his cheeks. No one had to know that he had overheard Sanji say that as he ate alone a couple weeks past. He watched and paid attention to Sanji way more than he cared to admit. What else could he do, since the obstinate man refused to look after himself and the rest of the crew thought that the cook was capable of handling everything alone all the time. Was it so much of a surprise, then, that even as an amateur cook, his food ended up tasting a little similar?

He sounded like a stalker.

With a shake of his head, he wiped the floor with vigor, leaving the place sparkly clean. He needed to stop thinking and concentrate on work, whether it was cleaning or physical training. He left the kitchen and headed to the usual crow's nest, only to find himself missing Sanji's presence again.

"Ah, what the hell. He can sleep wherever he wants," he muttered out loud, grabbing his medium-sized weight and pumping his arms furiously with it. "One, two, three, four…"

Should he just tell the crew and risk Sanji's wrath? He knew Sanji was hiding something again, something that had to do with his ridiculous notion of chivalry, all giving and no taking. Wouldn't that be just as harmful for the crew? Ignorance could get you killed out in the sea. And the person most at risk was Sanji himself. Didn't he realize he needed to be protected as one of their nakama?

Didn't the crew deserve to know that Sanji was right there with them?

"Twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine…"

He even refused to tell Zoro what he was thinking, which made it so much more irritating. There wasn't much more to hide from him, since he knew just about everything that had to do with this situation. He had been the one protected. Didn't that mean anything to Sanji? The least Zoro could do was to be the one that Sanji could confide in...

What the hell was he talking about? Who was he kidding, anyway. Sanji was a _rival_, a _nakama, _something Zoro just happened to keep forgetting because of that adorable puppy face. The dartboard brow had no obligation to tell him anything. In fact, this wasn't supposed to change their relationship in any way, shape, or form, in the first place.

"Fifty one, fifty two, fifty three…"

So why the hell did he care? He didn't even know anymore. But it wasn't helping that he probably spent the most time with Sanji now and talked with him much more than he used to. He supposed that made him greedy for more conversation, and yet both of them tended to be men of few words. That was just…weird.

"Seventy nine, eighty-"

"ZORO!"

Startled, Zoro dropped the weight on the head of the person who had suddenly appeared in front of him. Shit, when was the last time he'd been caught this much off guard?

"Are you that much of an idiot?" Zoro growled, lifting the weight off Luffy's head, hat miraculously uncrushed. "If you were a normal person, that could have seriously hurt you!"

"Oi, Zoro, don't kill me!" Luffy pouted, securing the hat more tightly on his head. "I was calling your name, but you kept counting, so I thought maybe it'd be better if I talked right in front of you. Sheesh!"

Oh, the brilliance of such logic.

"What do you want?" Zoro continued his exercising. "If you came here to ask me to cook, I'm not going to."

"Aww, why not?" Luffy whined.

"Eighty five, eighty six…Luffy, you don't weigh anything." Zoro chuckled, as he felt the miniscule change in weight as Luffy wrapped his arms around the heavy rings.

"Well, you're not cooking breakfast!" Luffy frowned, completely unperturbed that Zoro continued to swing the weight around.

He sighed. "Look, Luffy, if you bother me right now, I'm not cooking lunch either."

"WHAT?" Luffy shouted, immediately untangling his rubbery limbs from the weight. "Why, why, why?"

"I really need to work out," Zoro said honestly. He hated thinking about these kinds of things, worrying about stuff he shouldn't be worrying about in the first place. Sanji could take care of himself…ah, who was he kidding? "Ninety six, ninety seven-"

"How many do you need to do before you can go to the kitchen and cook? A hundred? A hundred one?"

"Idiot, I already passed that while you were talking," Zoro grumbled. "Wait half an hour and I'll go down."

"I'll watch you then."

Zoro ignored the intense stare that he began receiving and kept his pace, undeterred.

"I'm not feeling good, Zoro."

"Go tell Chopper that."

"No, I want to talk to you."

"Then talk."

Luffy pouted again. "Zoro, you're mean. I really don't feel very good."

"Like I said, Chopper's better with this kind of stuff."

"I give up. You're stupid, Zoro."

Zoro's eyebrow twitched but he said nothing as he continued counting his repetitions.

"I'll go talk to Usopp, then. Bye," Luffy said. "Come down quickly."

"Do you actually ever pay attention to anyone when they talk?" Zoro muttered as Luffy disappeared. With a sigh, he put down the weight and sat, hoping to meditate instead.

Why was Sanji treating him like a rapist or a murderer or something? Well, he _was_ an actual murderer – more like a killer, and only when it was necessary, sort of – but that had never put him off before. In any case, he was avoiding Zoro as if he was contagious, flinching and jumping just at the sight of him. Had he done something wrong the night in this exact spot? He was usually a calm sleeper, so he couldn't imagine doing anything strange…

Was Sanji just embarrassed? But that didn't explain anything, since he didn't seem to mind the others that much. Then again, Zoro knew the truth and they didn't.

Shit. This wasn't helping at all. He gave up. Nothing was working, no matter how hard or long he tried. He groaned and headed down to the main deck, when he heard Luffy talking.

"Zoro said he had to go work out or he wouldn't cook at all today. Man, he's so strict with the whole three meals a day thing, no snacks. And Franky built Zoro a lock for the refrigerator that I don't know the code for."

"I don't know how to buy groceries," he interjected, clearly surprising Luffy…and making Sanji upset again in some way. He fought to keep his composure and continued talking, "I'm just trying to make the food last as long as possible. Plus, it doesn't seem like we're going to arrive at an island any time soon."

Luffy's smile all of a sudden seemed a little too forced. Zoro raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sight.

"Hey, Usopp! Why don't we try to paint that large rock thing over there? I'll use my fists and you can shoot paintballs or something."

"Huh? Oh, okay. I'll bring some paint." Usopp ran back to his room to find some.

Zoro sighed for the millionth time. "Luffy-"

"We should have arrived at the next island more than a week ago. I saw it. I told Nami not to go. I told her to change our route. And she agreed with me. I think most of our crew would agree, too. We can't continue our adventure without him," Luffy interrupted, his hat shielding his eyes. "I want him to come back soon. It took us some effort to get Robin back and for Usopp to apologize when they both decided to leave our crew, but Sanji…I think I made the wrong choice. I should never have said to leave. It feels pretty awful. We should have waited there. Nami's trying her best to keep us going in circles so we don't have to go to the island yet. Nothing feels right without him. So we're waiting now."

Zoro nearly choked, barely managing to keep his face impassive. Luffy, the boy who just loved exploring new islands, had kept this information from everyone but Nami, Zoro included? But this spoke volumes about how much Luffy valued Sanji as a friend. When Sanji looked up with his jaw dropped open, Zoro shrugged, not showing how glad he was that Luffy had managed to speak so candidly.

He couldn't stop himself from teasing him. "You see, now, cook? You were never alone."

Sanji stiffened and nodded slightly. Zoro felt his facial muscles freezing in place, the slight smile turning awkward. So he must have really done something wrong, if Sanji hadn't lightened up by now. Turning his head, he watched Luffy punch the rock-like thing off to the distance and give up.

Just what had he done? He thought things might get better between them after that conversation in the kitchen but apparently not. And he had expected Sanji to be a little more happy towards Luffy's confession. By this point, he wasn't sure if he was just supposed to go with the flow or just get mad at Sanji, pick a fight, just so that he'd show some sort of response.

"I'm hungry, Zoro~" Luffy wailed, turning into mush near the railings. Zoro sighed.

Wait, what? Wasn't that where Sanji used to be?

"Oi, where's Sanji?!" Zoro roared without thinking, his eyes scanning the deck in panic. "What did you do to him?"

"That's not a funny joke, Zoro," Luffy said, his voice so suddenly icy and his glare so serious that Zoro finally realized what he had said, what it sounded like. Zoro ran his hand through his short hair in agitation.

"I meant Puppy-Sanji! It wasn't _my_ idea to call the dog the same thing!" he managed to say, feeling a throbbing headache coming on. "I wouldn't even joke about that kind of thing, Luffy."

Luffy seemed to deflate again, his fury dissipating as if it had never happened. Usopp stared at the two of them with wide eyes and took some steps backwards, clearly not wanting to get involved. Luffy shrugged. "Oh…I don't know, then. Sorry."

Zoro fought back his irritation and looked around madly, when all he wanted to do was shout the truth to Luffy. Then he caught sight of some strange bubbles on the ocean's surface as the ship kept moving in the opposite direction. He leaned over the railings to take a closer look but, to his horror, the stream of bubbles slowly disappeared.

What the fuck? Wasn't Sanji a brilliant swimmer? Even if he fell, he should have been able to paddle his way back with little problem…but he was a dog and never had to swim that way yet. He guessed it didn't matter that Sanji, as a golden retriever, should easily get the hang of it, since he still hadn't gotten used to that body. Quickly, Zoro yanked off the three katanas at his waist and dove into the water.

Damn.

His eyes stung with the salt, making him come back up to the surface faster than he wanted. He tried to clear his vision by rubbing his sore eyes, but he knew his hands were just as salty so he blinked instead.

No more bubbles. Shit. Didn't that mean Sanji couldn't breathe anymore?

_Stop panicking. Calm down. _

He took a deep gulp of air and ducked back under, doing his best to keep his eyes open for the golden fur. He swam around to no avail. When he broke the surface again, he heard Usopp yell, "I see him near you! Go-"

Ignoring the rest of the sharpshooter's words, he dunked his head back in and finally glimpsed a flash of gold. Using all his strength, he swam rapidly towards the sinking body and wrapped him up in his arms, breaking the ocean's surface again to breathe deeply.

"Luffy! You…idiot!" Zoro yelled, panting. "You…pushed… him over!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that," Luffy said sincerely, throwing him an arm. Zoro grabbed the proffered hand and Luffy flung them back towards the ship. He covered Sanji's limp body with his arms just in time as he landed heavily on the deck, taking all the impact of the fall on his back. Zoro coughed from the force but managed to sit upright easily.

_Damn, that might have stretched some wounds. But it's only to be expected that Luffy would do that, considering how he never fixed this habit._

"Bring Chopper, Usopp!" he muttered, setting Sanji's body gently on to the deck, ignoring his own pain.

"Got it!"

Sanji was not looking good. Zoro could hardly tell if he was breathing because he was so unnaturally still. He had no clue how to administer CPR to a human being, much less to a dog. His mind went blank and his fingers stilled, as he completely froze. What was he supposed to do in this situation?

"Zoro, what happened?" Chopper raced over in his reindeer form, immediately turning chibi and pumping Sanji's chest area, much to Zoro's gratitude. The little doctor's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Open his mouth."

Zoro obeyed the command, unable to help himself from grinning at the serious attitude that had suddenly transformed the usually cuteness-overload Chopper.

Argh. Something was seriously wrong with him.

"Tell me what happened," Chopper repeated, doing all sorts of things Zoro couldn't fathom.

"Luffy pushed him overboard."

Chopper sighed as Sanji began coughing up water and immediately sat down, burying his head in his hands. Zoro cringed at seeing Chopper's haggard face. It was the expression people had after consecutive all-nighters, with the black bags underneath droopy, bloodshot eyes. He looked filthy, unwashed, and just plain awful.

"Can you please be careful, Luffy? This dog is really fragile and honestly, I can't tell you how the seawater might affect him," Chopper whispered, clutching his head and plopping down on the deck. "Wow…my head hurts…"

Luffy looked crushed. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"I think it'll be okay," Chopper muttered. "Zoro, can you carry him to the infirmary – you're bleeding!"

"I'm fine. It's not a lot of blood. I'll take him and you can treat me there," Zoro shrugged, wincing at the pull at both of his shoulders. Chopper tried to stand but slammed back down to the ground, unable to muster the strength to move. Zoro's heart ached to see his little friend in such a condition and he held out a hand. Chopper grabbed it and Zoro yanked him upwards, settling him on top of his shoulders easily enough.

"And you call yourself a doctor?" Zoro teased softly, knowing that Chopper really was taking it too hard. As expected, there was no response, just a tightening of a grip on his head. Usopp was already gone, so he turned to Luffy and said, "Can you tell Robin to make lunch?"

_After all, Franky, Usopp, Brook, and Luffy are all incapable of cooking, and Nami would probably charge an enormous sum for it. Which really only leaves Robin. _

After Luffy sprinted off, obviously feeling guilty, Zoro headed into the infirmary…only to see the utter mess that Chopper had been living in.

"Oi, oi, oi," Zoro mumbled, simply staring at the infirmary. Books were strewn everywhere, with not even an inch of the floor visible. The bed wasn't much better off. Various vials and flasks glowed brightly on the equally messy desk, reflecting a wide variety of colors, some ominously bubbling. The room was a disaster in itself.

Just then, a slight snore made him chuckle, as Chopper fell asleep on his head. Zoro managed to hold Sanji in one arm as he carefully began cleaning the bed.

He didn't know if Sanji really understood how much Chopper was trying, how hard it all was.

"Zoro…"

"Shhh," he said absentmindedly, clearing enough space to set Sanji and Chopper down near each other. "Just go back to sleep. You need it."

"No…I wanted to say…thanks…"

Zoro blinked. For some reason, he had thought Chopper was the one talking to him, but it turned out that it the weak voice actually belonged to Sanji. "It's no problem, curly."

"Ha…I can't even…swim…" he coughed, his small form writhing with the effort. "Shit…"

"Just rest. It's fine."

"You're bleeding…idiot…"

"Like that's stopped me before," Zoro shrugged. "Chopper has to sleep now."

The little reindeer was completely knocked out, limbs sprawled over the bed carelessly. Sanji was curled up next to Chopper like a lump of golden, drenched fur.

Goddamn. They were too cute.

Zoro self-consciously touched his cheeks with a hand, covering his ridiculous smile. They were all battered, hurting, and yet he couldn't stop himself from _enjoying _it. He must be some sort of sadist.

Shaking his head in disbelief at himself, he opened up the cabinets in search of towels. After what seemed like hours, he finally found a stack of them. He took one and began drying Sanji's still damp form.

"Zoro…"

The whisper was so soft he almost missed it.

"Zoro…"

Was Sanji _dreaming_ about him? _That…that couldn't possibly be._

He rubbed Sanji's fur ferociously with the towel when Sanji suddenly bent over, letting out something like a sneeze. Zoro grinned at the sound, then frowned.

Did that mean Sanji was sick?

Zoro let go of Sanji and pulled off his soaked t-shirt, which now had three bright, small splotches of red where his wounds had all simultaneously decided to open up. He snorted. It didn't even hurt, but just that small impact on to the ship had so easily broken open the delicate stitches. Chopper had mentioned something about weaker materials, but he hadn't expected it would give away _now_ of all times. Hadn't enough time passed since he'd been stabbed?

Stupid, weak body. No amount of training would make up for the natural fragileness of a human. He slapped a bandage around the slightly bleeding areas and tied it tightly. With that, he sat down on the bed near the two small bodies, picked Sanji back up to finish drying him, and pulled the blanket over them all, making sure they were warm. This kind of stuff wasn't what he was used to, but he supposed desperate times called for desperate measures.

Damn. Sanji was soft, with such silky fur, though he was a little cold. He held him closer to his chest, unable to stop himself.

_It's to warm him up. There's nothing wrong with a human cuddling up with a dog._

Except there was so much that was wrong with this picture.

Zoro wanted to set Sanji back down on to the bed, but a wave of drowsiness suddenly hit him in the darkly lit infirmary, and he felt himself losing his fight against sleep…

[~ * ~]

Nico Robin completely, wholeheartedly, trusted the adorable little reindeer doctor. A lack of faith was, therefore, definitely not the reason why she had decided to follow him, instead of searching on her own, with her network of eyes and ears. It was simply curiosity, something she had to satisfy. That made sense, considering her job was essentially to learn. From the moment the chibi doctor had left on his own, she _had_ to know what was going on.

Which, of course, meant she had managed to piece together everything by now. Besides, there had been enough clues for the past couple of weeks to comprehend the situation, if one looked in the proper places, at the right people.

She had seen and overheard the entire conversation between the doctor, the cook, and the swordsman back at the island, just the way had managed to listen in on Brook and Zoro at Thriller Bark. Admittedly, she had been more than a little shocked that Sanji had turned into an animal, especially one that was just so adorable and not quite as ferocious as she imagined. Though if she thought upon the matter, a golden retriever fit his personality pretty well.

More than anything, however, she had the strangest desire to tease Zoro. How would the stoic swordsman deal with keeping a secret of this magnitude? He had obviously decided to go with whatever Sanji wanted, covering up the situation with a calmness she hadn't quite expected, though she should have. He was, after all, someone who would take care of the crew, someone who would go a long ways to help out a friend. Even, and perhaps especially to Sanji, who was clearly a rival he treasured. He didn't show many emotions, but that didn't mean he was incapable of feeling them.

She had tried to goad him, just slightly, to see if he'd waver in his decision to stand by Sanji. As she anticipated, he had done no such thing and in fact managed to lighten the situation by naming him so ridiculously. For that, she wanted to applaud the kind swordsman.

Well, she did. Before she had been assigned to cook. It wasn't that she particularly disliked it. In fact, she could produce some pretty appetizing dishes if she felt like it. The problem was that she had really enjoyed seeing Zoro fumble around to make meals all the time, the nearly disastrous incidents all ending spectacularly somehow. He seemed to mess up in every way possible and create something more than passably edible. Maybe he was in great favor of some cooking gods out there.

"Robin, it was delicious. Thanks," Luffy laughed, rubbing his stomach. "You make a lot more food than Zoro or Sanji. Your Devil's Fruit ability is just too cool."

"Thank you, Captain-san," Robin smiled. "Your ability is much more interesting in my opinion."

"Who knew so many people could cook on our ship?" Nami asked.

Robin's smile tightened. "Only one person can cook, Nami. Swordsman-san and I, what we do is not cooking but rather doing our best to put ingredients together in hopes that something edible will come out of it and that the crew doesn't die of hunger."

Nami looked startled but nodded with an expression of confusion on her face. An awkward, uncomfortable silence settled over the table.

"There you go again, sounding morbid," Franky chuckled, lighting up the mood quickly with his booming laugh. "Robin, is there ever a time you _don't_ mention death?"

"But it is just so fascinating," she responded, thankful that Franky was a skilled mood maker. He winked at her and she blinked, taken aback. She stood up quickly, nearly smashing her legs against the hard wood. "Excuse me."

It was as if Franky had understood her feelings, despite the fact that she was 99.99% sure he had no idea what was going on with the puppy and Sanji.

The crew was simply too ignorant, too unconcerned about Sanji. It was a well-known fact, yes, that he could take care of himself. He had proved that through his raw physical power, advanced techniques, and his tendency to be able to hold his ground against an enemy one way or another. And if she hadn't really paid attention, if she hadn't happened to listen in on their conversation, she might have been the one to basically badmouth him while he was present. She wasn't going to blame Nami or anyone for speaking their minds honestly, but it hurt to think that Sanji constantly had to endure loneliness.

Which was why she was determined to put him together with Zoro. She herself had no problem with homosexuality, but it seemed like the relationship was progressing without her doing much. It was rather adorable how they always acted so violent and angry at each other when, deep down, they probably had one of the strongest relationships in the crew. Would it be so bad if that were to turn to love?

Robin grinned. She didn't think so. But…

She bit her lip. Chopper refused to take care of himself. He had been so wrapped up in trying to fix Sanji's situation that he was becoming dangerously unhealthy. And she didn't want to tell him that she knew the secret, because he was putting in such an effort to keep it that way for Sanji's sake.

How complicated all of this was, especially because she didn't understand what the cook was thinking at all. There was obviously a reason why he was keeping this to himself, something to do with protecting the crew. But she liked to think she could trust his judgment.

"Doctor-san?" she called out, knocking on the door to the infirmary where Chopper had been practically spending every waking moment, much to the worry of herself and the others.

No response.

She opened the door and couldn't help but to chuckle softly at the sight.

Zoro sat in the bed with some awfully applied bandages that were becoming undone, legs stretched out in front of him, back against the wall. He held the puppy loosely in his limp arms near his abdomen and Sanji was easily nestled against him. Chopper's head leaned against the swordsman's thigh. All three of them snored at different pitches, muttering things under their breath in their sleep.

"Zoro…" Sanji murmured.

"Sanji…" Zoro mumbled back, an unconscious hand absentmindedly stroking the fur.

Robin closed the door, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

She would never doubt Zoro's ability to fight, his strength, his steady and mostly unperturbed-at-everything personality. He had a rather intense character. But at times like these, she wondered if maybe, he really did like cute and adorable things. For all his toughness, he seemed to be a softie in the inside.

Which was why she thought it would be good for the both of them if they were to find romance in their relationship.

Maybe it was a good thing that she tried to change things up by purposefully putting that plate of food in the refrigerator, since it had ended so well.

[~ * ~]

**Author's Note: **Alright, so it was cheesy and little bit on the short side (?) XD I hope you didn't mind too much…tell me how you thought of this chapter!

**Dear StrawHatsXD: **Oh dear. I've rewritten the first chapter of Beauty and the Geek five times now. *EXPLODES ON TUMBLR WITH RANTS* It's coming along slowly, but I WILL GET IT DONE! *fist pump*


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